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Built-in Bluetooth® gives you lots of optionsYou may know that Bluetooth lets you talk hands-free in your car, but JVC's KD-X50BT digital media receiver also allows you to receive text message notifications and stream music, depending on your phone's features. Even better, all you iPhone®, Android™ and Blackberry™ users can now control your favorite PANDORA® Internet Radio stations right from this stereo's front panel.

Built-in Bluetooth® gives you lots of options
You may know that Bluetooth lets you talk hands-free in your car, but JVC's KD-X50BT digital media receiver also allows you to receive text message notifications and stream music, depending on your phone's features. Even better, all you iPhone®, Android™ and Blackberry™ users can now control your favorite PANDORA® Internet Radio stations right from this stereo's front panel.

Special Android™ features
Android™ and Blackberry™ users can control PANDORA® right from the stereo through the Bluetooth connection — no wires needed. And JVC's Android app lets you use your compatible Android phone's touchscreen to control the action using finger swipes and gestures — for example, make an upside-down "V" to change the source. So pop your Android phone in a mount, and you can reach down and skip a track without taking your eyes off the road.

Keep two phones connected
The KD-X50BT's built-in Bluetooth lets you pair two phones at once — no need to choose between your personal and business phones. When a call comes in, the receiver will blink either blue or red, so you'll know at a glance if your call is coming from home or the office. To answer a call, just tap the volume knob.

Do more with your USB connection
JVC upped the power in their USB port, which lets you keep a smartphone charged while it's performing many battery-draining tasks at once. And with your smartphone connected, you can listen to your phone's internal memory as one source and access the little microSD card as another.

Separated Variable Color display
The KD-X50BT looks pretty cool, too. Its display lets you set colors for your controls independent from those on the screen — so create your own custom color scheme, match your dash lighting perfectly, or just let it cycle through over 30,000 hues for an ever-changing look.

Two USB slots for maximum convenience
JVC has obviously given some thought to usability, giving you front and rear USB inputs for connecting gear. The included Bluetooth adapter slides into one slot, so you'll still have one free. But if you don't need the Bluetooth, your options open up. For instance, if you're an iPhone user, you can run a USB cable from the receiver's rear input into your glovebox or a console, then connect your iPhone and stow it safely away. You still have the front USB slot for connecting other devices on the fly or playing tunes you've loaded on a USB thumb drive. Maybe you've got other ways to use the two inputs, but now it's your choice.

Build a system
If you've got plans to build a complete car audio system, the KD-X50BT is a great place to start. You'll appreciate the two sets of preamp outputs when it's time to add amps and subs — switch the rear outputs over to subwoofer mode and you'll be able to tweak your bass right from your dash. You'll also get a handy auxiliary input for hooking up more gear, like a Dock & Play satellite radio.

Want to keep your steering wheel controls?
In most vehicles, you can use an adapter to connect your vehicle's steering wheel controls to this JVC stereo. Connect a few wires, then program the adapter for your particular car and the JVC, and you'll retain the convenience of your steering wheel controls. Check the "Accessories" tab for compatible adapters.

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Reviews

JVC KD-X50BT Reviews

Average Customer Review(s):

(293 Reviews)

Good, with one problem

Chuck from Alaska on 9/12/2017

This is a good unit, at a good price. Sound quality is great, though it took me a while to learn how to navigate the features. I suggest you keep the operating manual in the car. One problem: when I plug in my iPhone, Pandora automatically starts. I have to open Pandora on my phone, shut it down, and then I can use the JVC unit. There is the no way to disable this automatic start

JVC KD-X50BT

Brian from Alberta on 6/25/2017

Nice unit with good sound quality and a large easy-to-read screen. Only gripe I have is that when the HPF (high-pass filter) is enabled, the subwoofer output is much lower when it should be unaffected. Unless you're looking to use the built-in crossovers for high and low frequencies, this is a great upgrade for a stock system. The Bluetooth reception is also quite short, audio cuts out when the playing device is in the back seat, plays fine when it's in the front closer to the deck; did not have this issue with other units.

great product, for the price!

this product is betterthat much more expensive models by the same manufacturer. I paired this with an Alpine KTP-44u 4-channel amplifier with the stock speakers in a Toyota Sienna, and the sound is incredible.

It's Practically Free

This refurbished unit is an unbelievable value. I installed it in a 1998 BMW 323is, and the color coding of the adaptor harness made it idiot proof (red to red, blue to blue, etc.).
While I appreciate the clean look of this receiver and its minimal use of buttons, it has a ton of great features. The USB and Bluetooth are awesome and the receiver has a robust menu of equalizer settings suitable for basic as well as advanced users. A nice bonus feature is the multitude of display color options; I was able to exactly match the rest of the dash lights in my car. Beautiful receiver.

Good, basic Bluetooth Digital-Only deck

Purchased this unit to install in a friend's 2007 Ford Fusion (replaced the OEM 6-disc CD Changer deck because he never used CDs in the car, and frankly the cabled AUX "interface" was getting to be annoying) and had it operational in a ridiculously fast amount of time.
Paired with his phone nicely, made life on the music front a LOT easier (playlists, streaming audio, etc now usable through the deck instead of having to use the phone, etc) and Bluetooth calling made things a lot safer too. The only things that really threw me off were a) the non-detachable faceplate (no big deal, really) and b) how incredibly LIGHT this unit was, which makes sense given it's lack of a CD drive... Still, it felt a bit cheap. Given the price and the features, however, it's an amazing bargain and a GREAT upgrade for people who want to have hands-free calling, streaming audio, customizable colors, and who are done with CDs altogether.

Pros:Bluetooth phone and audio, changeable colors, USB

Cons:Frighteningly lightweight, a bit on the cheap side, non-detachable faceplate

Not as advertised

Product does not work as advertised. The USB does not output enough power to charge a cell phone (I have only been able to charge an old iPod). You cannot thumbs up/down Pandora songs directly from the stereo as advertised (tried with multiple versions of Android). The unit does not keep the correct time. The Crutchfield install directions were great as expected, but this stereo does not meet my standards. Very disappointed with this JVC product, do not purchase this item.

Pros:

Cons:Doesn't charge Android/Apple phone.
Pandora controls do not work for Android devices.
Device clock does not show the correct time.

0 of 3 found this helpful

Great Unit and Great Price

If you like me and have known CD, DVD, BlueRay and so on are dead and gone, then this is the unit for you. Works flawlessly with my Iphone, iPad and every other "I" you can think of. The face flashes what ever color you want it too when you have and incoming call. The phone integration is simple while each call is crisp clear and seamless. Oh ya and your Iphone or other device connects automatically as soon as you start your vehicle.

Pros:Smartphone "bluetooth" integration, Installation a breeze, So many back light colors, easy of use, sound and looks

Very pleased

Installed in my 2003 Wrangler. Sound very good. A little hard to use the controls, have to scroll through screens and push buttons to lock in, not intuitive. Still have not been able to connect BT device, but that is not a deal breaker for me. Programing stations is complicated. To choose a preset station, you have to scroll though them, not just push a button, if you program all 18 available spaces, that can be a pain when driving.

JVC KD-X50BT

Erik B from CDA, ID on 2/19/2013

Great unit for the price!! Easy installation in my 2000 Expedition with the accessories provided by Crutchfield, took longer to solder the wiring harneses than it did to install the stereo. Unit powered up right away and worked exactly as expected. Full iPod/iPhone control right from the head unit, worked great with my iPhone 5, my wife's iPhone 4S, and my iPod. Both phones also connected quickly and the sound quality on the call seems to be as good as the factory bluetooth connection in my truck. Adjustments are menu driven, but once they're set, no need to keep going back and adjusting. If you want a stereo that can interface with your iPod/iPhone, and also give you hands-free calling while driving, I don't think that you can beat this one for the price.

JVC KD-X50BT

I put this in a 01 Chevy Cavalier. I was skeptical that I would miss my CD player but I was wrong. I love this receiver, works great, installed easy with include Bracket from Crutchfield. When you first put a flash drive in the receiver or first crank the car, it takes about 30 seconds to read, once that's done you can go back and forth from radio to bluetooth to flash drive as quick as you can hit the button. Works great.

Pros:Bluetooth is really clear, mic has 12' cord so you can put about anywhere. Great color options and ease of use/

Cons:Takes about 30 seconds to first read flash drives, but then it is really quick. Faster than starting up a cd in another system.

0 of 0 found this helpful

JVC KD-X50BT

I installed this in a 2002 Tacoma with the factory speakers and the change in sound quality is amazing. I may not change out the factory speakers for a while. There are endless color possibilities. It installed easily with the included parts (Thanks Crutchfield). The sound quality is excellent from every source input. The Bluetooth audio works really well, but the Bluetooth phone calls are not really great. My only gripe is the menu operation. It takes quite a lot of time to go deep into the menus just to change one small thing. Also it is slow to read USB flash drives. I am using a 16GB and it takes about a full minute before it starts playing music. Overall it is a great media player.

Good Value, But...

First off, this unit does exactly what it is advertised to do, and does it reasonably well. It connects to my Bluetooth phone and plays the songs I have loaded on the phone. With the included microphone, it makes good hands free phone calls. It connects to my son's iPod via USB and understands and works well with it. The sound quality is good, the options, including color and sound manipulations are nice to have. It is also not very expensive. However, it has a number of small problems that, although would not make me return the unit, do irritate me a bit. 1. Buttons feel cheap. The stock unit in my truck had plastic buttons, but they did not feel as cheap as these. 2. Volume control/mute button. The mute control is integrated with the volume control. That means unless the road is PERFECTLY bump free, when you vary the volume, you are constantly muting and unmuting the sound. That is very irritating. 3. Menu system. To vary the sound image (fade/balance), you should not have to go so many levels deep into the menu system. There is simply no way to do so safely while driving. Same thing with dialing out on the phone. 4. Display. There is so much wasted space on the display. Why put in the silly rotating image in the upper right hand corner that serves no purpose? They could have put the time there. Maybe this is what you get for the low price. Again, it does do everything I need it to do, just not in a "classy" way. Maybe that's what the extra $100 gets you.

A Great Value

What you have here is a tremendous value. The sound quality is surprisingly sharp and clear even when streaming music over bluetooth. Using the integrated amp it sounds very full, even at higher volumes. It does (obviously) sound far better with a dedicated amp. But compared to the Blaukpunkt head unit it replaced, the difference is night and day.
The setup is an absolute breeze. However, operation can be very confusing and unintuitive. Because the unit contains so many functions, but so few buttons, you will find yourself returning the manual again and again to accomlish basic functions. For example, certain functions in certain modes require you to hold the "repeat" button down for three seconds. IF you don't happen to remember that the function you desire requires you to hold down the "Repeat" button for 3 seconds, it is very, very confusing.
In addition to too few buttons, there is only one primary line on the LCD screen, which makes scrolling through menus a bit of a chore. I realize that this is not a high end head unit, but even at this price range the display is a disappointing and it compounds the confusing buttons issue.
But don't get me wrong. This is works, and it works reliably. It sounds great, and Bluetooth phone function outperforms the bluetooth connectivity in my late-model BMWs. It's just that stupid interface . . . . The bottom line, though, is that I would buy this again.

Pros:Great Sound, Affordable, Easy to Set Up, Great Bluetooth Phone System

Cons:Wonky, Unintuitive Interface; Display is Severely Lacking

1 of 1 found this helpful

Love this Radio!

Performed exactly as advertised. Bluetooth picked up cell phone and IPADs with no problem and the set-up is very intuitive. I was able to quickly learn my way around the controls quickly without referring to the instructions. Pandora streaming through IPAD was seamless with the controls through the radio using the handy little remote. I used a 2gig USB thumb drive in the front, perfect sound. I would highly recommend this radio. The team at Crutchfield were very helpful.

Pros:Ease of use across all media, great sound, and intuitive controls set-up.

Cons:The included microphone sound quality is poor, at least that is what folks on the other end tell me. Also, four extra screws are required but not included for installation in older Chrysler vehicles.

0 of 0 found this helpful

Awesome unit for the price

My son has just purchased his first car and we wanted him to have handsfree for safety. My wifes car and mine both have factory bluetooth and it is a lifesaver. The unit came in quickly with all required equipment to install into car. If you can strip and solder two wires together it is a breeze. I laid out both the wiring diagrams and connected the supplied car harness to the stereo harness in about 30 minutes (TIP: use heatshrink on your soldered connections, better protection and just looks more professional). Once I had the harness together it was just a matter of putting the dash plate and stereo in which took about 2 minutes! The second USB port in the back is about 3-4 feet long so I just put it in the glove box, may look at a more permanent mounting solution later but it does not get in the way of anything. I ran the handsfree mic up the A pillar and to the middle of the headliner at the front and it looks great. Stereo came right on and once you mess with it for a few minutes it is pretty easy to operate. Sound is great for such a cheaply priced unit and looks really good. The fact that it does not have a CD play is a plus, no moving parts to go bad later on. Luck had it that my sons cell phone broke the day he got his license so I got him an IPhone which works great with this unit. He streams Pandora and all of his music on his phone, you do not have to have a physical connection to stream. Great unit for a great price, and easy install!

Pros:No CD Player to go bad (mo moving parts)
Easy to install
Takes very little time to learn how to operate
Bluetooth works great and sounds like a factory system when talking on it

Cons:No mounting hardware for second USB

0 of 0 found this helpful

Great Functioning, Super Cool Stereo

I purchased the JVC KD-X50BT to install in my '99 Jeep Cherokee, in which the stock radio had bit the dust. The instructions for installing the new unit were clear, and I soldered all the connections. When the JVC lit up for the first time, I realized that I had not just a functioning stereo, but one with a huge coolness factor. One may choose from a huge variety of color patterns to illuminate the buttons or the screen- it's pretty magical. The price is competitive on this unit, and the Blue Tooth sincing function works terriffically. I enjoy streaming internet radio (I-Heart) into the JVC unit via Blue Tooth through my cell phone with either a 3G or 4G connection. I am well pleased with my purchase.

JVC KD-X50BT

Great stereo to replace my 09 Matrix factory... Followed Master sheet, spliced wires and connected everything with relative ease. Took about two hours, but I wanted to get everything right up front. Made factory speakers sound much better... And works with my iPhone 5. A lot of features available, so some "ease of use" require extra research and study... Thus four stars.

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0 of 0 found this helpful

Awesome head unit

Warpedscout from Tupelo, MS on 1/31/2013

Bought this for sons first car so he would have Bluetooth. Love the fact it does not have a CD player. We have essentially gone all digital media and this unit is great. Easy installation with the included kit. I took my time soldering and shrink wrapping the connections so I would not have to take the unit out again. The back USB is a USB cord that is about 4 feet long so easy to either place in glove box or make modified location. Bluetooth mic has plenty of length to pretty much mount anywhere. Took a few minutes to figure out the controls but that is what the included manual is for. I love how I paired my iPhone And was able to talk and play music wirelessly! Tons of color options or unit so if you cannot find one you like you cannot be satisfied! I would definitely recommend this unit, especially for the Bluetooth function which my wife said sounded just as good as our two brand new cars Bluetooth.

Bang for buck

This unit is a bargain. Many features for the price. The interface is consistent, but a little tedious to use - lots of button pushing. Once it's set up it works well. BT audio works with my Android phone and displays tags properly. Haven't tested phone calls much yet, but it's nice to have the capability. I'm wondering what happens when I disconnect the battery for car repairs. Will I have to set up every option again? It would be nice to be able to back up the radio settings to a USB flash drive or something.

JVC KD-X50BT

Awesome little stereo. Took a while to figure out programming. Once I figured everything out and had it set up it was cool! Bluetooth works flawless with my iPhone 5. If you're done using CDs and regularly use your iPhone/ iPod, buy this! You won't be disappointed.

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0 of 0 found this helpful

JVC KD-X50BT

Anonymous from Rpb florida on 1/30/2013

Awesome

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0 of 0 found this helpful

Simply Amazing

I'm pretty versed with electronics and such, so I had a really easy time navigating the menus. However, if you're keen with small interfaces, you might have a hard time.
The menu system is very simple; hit menu and you get the options as such:
Menu - Various Options \ Audio Options \ Loudness// Equalizer// \ Loudness On/Off
The volume knob acts as a select switch when pressed and scroll wheel when turned in menus.
The Blutooth feature is simply brilliant; you connect your device once and it automatically connects once you turn the car on (as long as you have Blutooth still enabled) Saving FM stations to hot keys are tricky. Since there aren't any numbered buttons, you have to scroll through a menu. There are 2 buttons all the way to the left of the unit; up and down. You press up or down to bring up the menu then you scroll through the stations. To save stations, you find your favorite one, hold down the volume knob and then you can select from #01-16 or whatever the max is. I have mine in numeric order so it's #1 93.3; #2 94.1, etc.
If you're not willing to learn how to use your unit, you might as well stick with the factory radio, but if you have 15 minutes to fiddle around with it, this unit will make all of your needs a reality.

Really good!

Wasn't crazy about the looks but wanted the features. Ounce it was in my dash it looks good. Colors and display are great. Not as bright as I would have expected but can be seen ok in direct sunlight. The Pro EQ is excellent! You can get it to dial in just about any sound you want. Each input ( AM, FM, Aux, USB front, USB rear.) has its own Pro EQ adjustment. I had The FM radio sounding great but the blue tooth ( Which I use in the front ) seemed dull. No problem. A little tweak to the Pro EQ and it was just as clear and lively as the FM tuner. Pairing my Iphone was easy. It syncs up as soon as I get in the car and calls sound very good. I plug my Iphone into the rear USB plug and it keeps the phone charged and plays my music. Pandora works very well but I can't figure out how to switch from Pandora to the stored music in my phone through the head unit. It automatically switches to Pandora when I plug into the USB. I have to unplug it again and kill Pandora and the turn on my music. I'm sure there is a way but I have not found it yet. Overall it's a really nice unit at a great price. Anyone know what the dancing squares on the upper right side are for?

Pros:Great sound. Pro EQ works very well. Lots of volume. Great display. Basic feature are easy to use while driving. Clock sets automatically.

Cons:Volume knob is too shallow. It just doesn't stick out far enough. When you try to adjust the volume its easy too push it and go to mute. Turning it is also a pain. It has no texture to hold on to. The screen also scratches easier than I would have expected. It's very glossy and just wiping dust off with my finger left some scuffs.I plan on trying a screen protector from my phone to cut the glare and cover the scratches. Switching from Pandora to stored music is a trick.

X 50BT

'02 Subaru Forester. Great HU for the money. Takes a leap to go all digital, but well worth it. Install was a snap with the provided harness and hardware from Crutchfield. From delivery to installed in 2 hours including soldering the harness up. Factory speakers are the weakest link now.

Would have made another choice

Dan F from Murrieta, CA on 1/22/2013

I purchased this unit mainly because it was on a great sale and it had some cool features. Note that this unit doesn't have a CD player. The bluetooth works pretty well. The sound quality is pretty average, but I don't have anything special for speakers. Once I change them out, I will add to this review. Now my gripes: I primarily listen to music via the USB port. 1st gripe - to use the bluetooth to function, you need to use one of the 2 USB ports for a USB bluetooth receiver dongle. How silly! That should have been built-in. What a horrible idea. My second gripe and the most annoying: it has intermittent memory - sometimes after I start up the car, it resumes the mp3 track that I am listening to, and sometimes it doesn't. It rarely remembers the "shuffle" setting and I have to set that every time I power the unit on. And almost half the time the unit doesn't detect the USB drive at all, which requires me to unplug and replug it back in. Bad design flaws make me give this unit no more than 2 stars. Another annoying factor: the controls are awkward and confusing. This unit needs more buttons. If I had to do it again, I would buy a different unit.

Pros:Plays from USB, has Bluetooth streaming, has an app for my android to control and view titles easier. Has many options for EQ. Sounds fairly decent. Reasonably priced.

Cons:Not able to read USB drive at times. Loses memory settings for music. Controls are confusing and awkward. Lack of a detachable face. Lack of a CD Player. Must use one of 2 USB ports for Bluetooth dongle. Missing buttons 1-6 for station programming and other functions.

Works very well

Installed in 1995 Lincoln Town Car. Installation took about 2 hours do to the factory radio being in the trunk and the ant in the rear window. All wiring harness and installation hardware needed was provided. Was well pleased with everything that was provided for the installation. Radio works well and am still learning how to use it.

Pros:Color of displays are adjustable to match existing dash. Displays call letters and name of radio station if transmitted. Some stations also transmit song title and artist. Manual says it will display phone no. and name of caller from your phone. It works with my Nokia E71 phone but still need to set it to use my phone book info.

Cons:Takes time to learn all the controls as there are many functions and each control knob/button has several functions depending on which mode you are using. This not be a problem after I get use to the radio. Has only been installed about 1 week.

0 of 0 found this helpful

Nice Stereo for your daughters car...

Bought this for my daughters birthday to replace the factory stereo that the display went out on. Picked it mostly for its value and bluetooth features which worked well with her ipod and phone. Install was easy using the wire harness Crutchfield threw in, she was happy to have a "thumping system". However if you plan on using your factory AMP instead of the units amp you may hear some high frequency noise. I'm pretty sure this can be fixed using a couple of ground loop isolation rigs which I'm going to install next weekend.

Pros:Coolness factor, bluetooth value.

Cons:Feed back noise from factory amp using per-amps outs on unit...

0 of 0 found this helpful

Great Product, Great Value

I absolutely love the Bluetooth capability of the unit. Connecting your phone is easy and automatic after the initial connection. Still have factory speakers, so it's hard to say how great it can sound, but it did improve the overall quality of the sound.
The instructions were easy enough, but I took it to a professional to ensure nothing went awry ($40 well spent).
I love that Crutchfield includes the harness, and mount with the unit.
-ZL

Pros:Bluetooth ease

Cons:The demo mode is a bit ridiculous and not intuitive on how to remove (but that's easily solved with the instructions)

1 of 1 found this helpful

Couldn't Be Happier

When I wanted to replace the CD/Tape Deck in my 2007 Town and Country, I went to a local shop and was amazed at the markup of their receivers, plus install. I understand they have to make money, but they were a bit inflated. I had done installs on much older vehicles, but was nervous about doing it on such a new vehicle. I started looking around the site for a replacement CD player with Bluetooth, and came across the idea of just going with a DMR. After thinking about it for a bit, I decided I didn't really need a CD player. I started a chat with a sales rep and he helped me pick out the best unit for my needs. I was stuck between two and he recommended this unit, which by the way was the cheaper of the two I was looking at. Right then and there he sold me and i added the unit to my cart.....The unit came as advertised, but when I went to install it, the instructions were a bit confusing. A quick call to the tech support got me back on track and in less than two hours (I solder all my connections), the unit was in, working like a champ. I set up the phone connection and my wife says it sounds as good as the factory unit in my Toyota. I have only had it about 3 days and have not gotten through all the functions, but so far I couldn't be happier. With the install kit for the Town and Country, I recommend the kit that has small pocket below the stereo. Perfect spot to keep the phone.

Pros:Bluetooth connection with Android phone. Not just for use of the phone, but for playing music and playing Pandora. One of those things you can do without, but once you have it, very hard to go back to a cable.

Cons:The only con i can list so far, and this maybe operator error, but when I am playing the music on my phone, I lose the clock on the stereo. Kind of a bummer since this is the only clock in the vehicle.

0 of 0 found this helpful

fantastic reciever

jtrizzy from florida on 1/7/2013

this is fantastic reciver. has everything anyone wants. if your still in oldschool mode and use cd's this might not be for u. but if you are. GET WITH IT!. i am very pleased with this unit. however it could be a tad hard for someone who isnt technically inclined to figure out how to use. it could be complicated to use. but once you figure it out, its second nature. installed it on a 2010 ford ranger.

Pros:totally happy with it

Cons:could be a tad complicated to use

0 of 0 found this helpful

Good Value

This unit really does offer plenty for the price. Bluetooth calls come in clear and I like that it remembers the phone volume setting when it automatically switches from playing music to answering a call. I hear the folks on the other side of the call really well. They can hear me well enough, depending on how fast I'm going and the smoothness of the road. It really is more a matter of my car's sound proofing than the JVC unit's capability. I don't miss the CD functionality as I have put all my music in a tiny 16GB USB drive that plugs into the front face. It's practically invisible. The sound quality is as good or better than the radio that came with my Camry. The construction of the unit is pretty solid. I've only had it for a month so I hope it has a long life.

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0 of 0 found this helpful

JVE KD-X50BT Review

I bought it to replace the stock double DIN unit in my 2003 VW Jetta GLI - CD changer was eating CDs and receiver was not that great. This JVC unit was relatively easy to install, fit perfectly into lower DIN hole of the dobule DIN space. Had to work a bit with the wire bundle in the back, but got it all out of the way and the unit snapped in nice and tight. Controls take a bit to get used to, but not that bad after a few days of playing around with the knobs and the owners manual. Handsfree bluetooth phone feature is nice - recognized my Blackberry right away. Incoming calls through the speakers are very clear. Outgoing calls on the receiving end sounded like I was in a cave. I engaged the noise cancelation and echo control feature on the JVC unit, but it did not help much. The mic is mounted on the steering column near the speedometer display aimed straight at my mouth, but the mic can pick up sound from all around. I found a foam microphone cover for the tip of the mic and wrapped the barrell of the mic with electrical tape. Now the mic is more directional and the sound on the receiving end of a call is much better. Love the USB slot on the front for music - wish this unit played .flac files, but .mp3 at 320 mps sounds good enough in a car with my old ears. Sound is excellent compared to the old system. Color set-up has so much variation it should be easy to get a color match to whata ever dash colors you have.

BUY THIS MODEL!

I've owned this model for nearly a year. This is an incredible deck with lots of settings and features and good sound. Keep in mind the blue tooth is not built in. Its a USB accessory that comes with the unit so it takes up one of the 2 available USB ports. Not a problem for me. I keep it on the front of the deck then use the corded rear plug for my flash drive loaded with my music. The ONLY negative thing I can find is that it does NOT play music in the MPEG-4 format (iPod format) from a flash drive. Music has to be converted to MPEG-3 which are larger files so less songs on a flash drive. Quite a bummer as its extra work but ones its converted the pain is over. I'd definately buy this player again. In fact, I've purchased two. Just a tip: Get a spiral cord to clip to the remote and attach it to your dash, seat, or console. Saves you from losing it, And by the way, I operate the unit from the remote 95% of the time. After a short while you know what buttons to push with out looking for them.

Pros:Tons of features, good sound. I'd definitely recommend this deck.

Cons:Does not play MPEG-4 formatted songs from a flash drive. Music must be converted to MPEG-3 which is time consuming and the files are larger so you can't fit as many songs on a single flash drive.

1 of 1 found this helpful

JVC KD-X50BT

I got this to replace the factory HU in my Subaru Forester which is just terrible. I wanted Bluetooth and line outs and I got those and more. The unit sounds good and you can customize it pretty well with the 3 band EQ (Low, mid and high). It also allows you to pick which frequency and Q you want for each of the 3. That lets gives you even more control. It has front and rear line outs to hook up your amp and the rears can be switched to sub woofer out. I don't have an amp yet and it drives my Polk DM6501 and DB651 speakers pretty well. I don't miss not having the CD player at all. The tuner is ok but the lack of buttons for presets kinda stinks.
I think my biggest complaint is the lack of being able to choose a primary bluetooth connection. We have 4 people that get in the car all with iPhones and you never know which one it will connect to. Disconnecting and reconnecting to another phone is cumbersome through the menu system.
The menu system is set up well but if the system had a few more buttons that were assigned to frequently accessed functions it could be so much better.
All in all for the price, this is a very good unit.

Pros:Features, sound

Cons:No primary Bluetooth connection, needs to have more buttons assigned to frequently used items to avoid always being in the menu system.

0 of 0 found this helpful

Beautiful, great features, easy to use!

I bought this as an upgrade to my factory CD receiver on my Accord, specifically for the Bluetooth phone connectivity and music streaming. I divided the installation into two parts: I soldered the wires of the radio harness and the installation kit harness first, then installed the unit. I was a bit intimidated, but the installation, although time consuming, was not all that difficult. The instructions that came from Crutchfield were very good, and when I got stuck, Crutchfield customer service over the phone was nothing short of amazing. This is why I will never buy car stereo equipment from anyone else. I don't even look at other options any more. Once installed, figuring out how to use the unit was easy as pie, and it works very well. Hands-free phone conversations are clear on both ends. I installed the microphone on the steering column. It does take half a minute to connect to my iPhone for music streaming, but once it connects, it streams beautifully. Love the sound through my Kicker speakers, from Crutchfield, of course. I opted for the adapter kit that goes under the factory head unit, and I'm very pleased with the look. Thank you, Crutchfield!

Pros:Great sound, great price, easy to use, beautiful display with many color and brightness options, USB and AUX options, Bluetooth connectivity, music streaming, and above all the extraordinary Crutchfield customer service, the best in the market!

Cons:It takes a while to connect to my iPhone for streaming, and doesn't do my laundry. Other than that, I can't think of anything.

0 of 0 found this helpful

AWESOME

This unit is a wonderful addition to the 21st century car. I have a 2006 Honda Accord and was in desperate need of an auxiliary input of some type. I recently purchased an iPhone 5 and wanted a unit that was compatible with this. Josh, my tech advisor from Crutchfield, walked me through this purchase based on features and pricing. You really can't beat the price on this. If you are willing to step away from the traditional CD player into the world of streaming audio files, this is the way to go. The interface utilizes Pandora and other music streaming apps on your phone as well as keeping it fully charged. And the trim kit that came with it provided an ideal place to set my phone while in the car. The bluetooth calling capabilities were an added bonus! My only complaint is that you need a master's degree to figure out how to work the darn thing...but once you get the basics down it is easy. Installation literally took about an hour. The worst part was trying to plug in the wiring harness to the old radio. Connections were a snap and boom it worked great. Great radio reception too. This is a must have if you have no existing AUX port on your car. And the USB charging port on front is priceless....

Great Stereo

Great stereo for the price and features. A definite improvement over my old Dual head unit. Has every feature I needed. I do wish the control knob was a little bit stronger feeling. Sounds very nice and the bluetooth feature works great. Pairs with my Nokia Lumia 900 just fine. The crutchfield kit worked perfectly too.
I wanted a stereo that wasn't too flashy and could be tamed down (turn down lights when driving at night). This stereo fits the bill perfectly.

Pros:Not too flashy. Sounds nice. No annoyances

Cons:I wish the button for the volume/mute was a little stronger. It is easy to bump mute while trying to adjust volume. It feels plasticy.

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Feature packed, not simple to use

Wow! The stuff they pack in an inexpensive receiver these days is amazing. Very nice sound, great features - notably Aux input, USB and bluetooth. Would have liked HD radio - at least HD ready.. It isn't terribly easy to use - but then I bought this unit partially for the dearth of buttons - the location of the unit in the vehicle was such that it was getting drips and spills from the cup holder, so I wanted a unit that wouldn't get too gunked up. In any case, fader and balance are unreasonably difficult to adjust - at least if you are driving and trying not to get too distracted, so if you have a vehicle like a mini-van with kids and need to occasionally shift sound up or back (if your kids don't want to listen to Phish, or you don't want to listen to The Wiggles), you may want a different unit. I;m also sensitive to the complexity issue because this is going into my wife's car, and I had to cringe a bit when attempting to show her how to use it. But really, if you don't need to get to the balance and fader a lot, and you are willing to do things a *little* differently than on other units, this is a great receiver. Not terrible powerful (or maybe I have inefficient speakers, who knows?) No problem installing, but there weren't any installation instructions or tips - like that there is a removable sleeve and removable face-plate trim that would have been nice to have known about - since I had to remove both for installation in my vehicle.

Pros:Great sound, great features.

Cons:Not easy to use, some controls require some effort to get to.

0 of 1 found this helpful

Great radio for my BMW 325i 2003

I bought this radio to replace original one on my BMW 2003 325i. Original had CD player, which I didn't use, but lacked iPod connector. This JVC unit has two USB connectors. One in the back and one in the front. I use the one in the back for my iPod which I hide in a small space for sun glasses. Then I use the USB in the front to connect my phone using a Bluetooth included plug (which I can temporarily remove to charge my iPhone). I got the "install card" and it was easy to get it done. I am very happy with this unit.

Pros:I hired the installation using one of those pre-paid cards sold by Crutchfield. That is the reason I bought this radio. I didn't want to do it myself and I was afraid that without a pre-paid I would ending up paying too much. I paid $120 for the radio and $100 for the installation. I have now good quality music out of my iPod and got the free-hands benefit to use my phone with the included Bluetooth.

Cons:I had to spend a long time trying to figure out all the menus to set the display color and to connect my first Bluetooth cell phone. Connecting my daughter's was easier. I wish it had 3 USB inputs instead of 2 so I would not have to unplug the Bluetooth to charge my cell. Not a big issue since I can use the lighter power to charge it.

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Great Bang For The Buck

How can you go wrong at this price? A stereo, kit and harness and install instructions and support. Everything was included and great quality and you gain a pocket to hold stuff. We installed it Christmas morning. Only took about 20 minutes and it sounds great. Thanks Crutchfield

Pros:Easy to use, great value

Cons:none

0 of 0 found this helpful

A Terrific Head Unit, Just Not For Me

I really liked this HU but ended up returning it because it was buggy w/my iPod Classic 60GB and my son's iPod Touch.
In terms of features and SQ it was great, an excellent value for the price. The menu system was no problem once you took a few minutes to get used to it (and read the book, folks.I can't understand why anyone would drop a decent dime for a complex piece of equipment then not bother to learn how to use the darn thing!)
The first issue was the frequent, random pausing during playback. It would do so regardless of which iPod it was hooked up to without regard to source content (i.e. music, podcasts, etc.)
When playing podcasts at various times they'd either 1) not play at all or 2) would play at double-speed (chipmunk style!) The only fix would be to stop the podcast, cue up music then return back to the podcast. It acted similarly if switching sources, say from going from a podcast to listening to FM radio then back to the iPod. Chipmunks or nothing at all.
I called Crutchfield but nothing helped, including firmware updates and a careful review of all connections and settings for both the iPod and the HU. They gave it their best shot.
I also noticed that the clock was not keeping time. I don't know if it was a matter of running too fast/slow or rather it was arbitrarily resetting itself; I just know that I'd reset it then later notice that it was WAY off.
I ended up exchanging it for a Pioneer DEH-80PRS. Hopefully it won't be so buggy.

Pros:Terrific sound, very flexible, tons of features. All of the positive things said by others are all true (just not for me!)

Cons:Buggy! Would not play nicely with my iPod Classic 60GM or my son's iPod Touch. Clock reset/wouldn't keep time; random pausing; podcasts either wouldn't play at all or would play at double speed (regardless of all settings for all devices.)

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Terrific radio

Couldn't be happier with this purchase. Went flawlessly into my 2001 Suburban except that the install tripped the security system and I couldn't get it reset except by a mechanic which cost me a few bucks. But the radio itself is wonderful, the colorful variable screen is super cool. My reception is awesome, the bluetooth works flawlessly and I would highly highly recommend this unit to anyone. Great power too the entire system sounds great.

Pros:Bluetooth, two USB ports, price, quality

Cons:None. It's awesome.

0 of 0 found this helpful

Easy to use media receiver

The JVC KD-X50BT media receiver perfectly fit my 1998 Avalon. My installer placed the microphone at the top of the driver's side A pillar and retained the original under unit storage with the hinged door and latch. I use a iPhone 4s mounted to the center-left ventilation grill. Feedback from those on the other end of phone calls indicates high quality sound from the JVC KD-X50BT microphone. I greatly enjoy having full rich sound from my speakers during phone calls and the way the phone calls automatically override FM as well as iPhone music and podcasts. I found it helpful to read through the owner's manual once to familiarize myself with the options and features of the JVC KD-X50BT. After a single reading, the controls and menu system seems familiar and easy to navigate. I notice I am using my GPS apps more since installing the JVC KD-X50BT. The ability to play from the Pandora app on the iPhone is intriguing and may get me to try that service. I would highly recommend this unit for anyone who wants hands free calling.

Pros:Ability to select color of the JVC KD-X50BT display to match original display panel colors.
Better sound quality than the factory original sound system.
Drives the original factory rear deck woofer.

Cons:Getting the bluetooth sync to work the first time required careful reading of the owner's manual.
Bluetooth sync takes nearly a minute after turning on ignition.
The remote is quite small and has no easy way to be mounted, but works well.

1 of 2 found this helpful

Great Quality

I just installed this deck in my 09 Ford Ranger and it looks great, even sounds good with stock speakers. I now have hands free calling and thousands of songs from my iPod all controlled easily from this quality unit. I cannot believe how much you get for the price. It's not to often that you buy something and don't feel like you over paid. I Would recommend to anyone who wants hands free calling.

Pros:Everything about this unit is great.

Cons:None

0 of 0 found this helpful

Android Note 2 JVC

Honda Accord LX yr 2000. Upgrading from stock head unit. I wanted to give the item a 4.5 star rating because it is near perfect for my use. Head unit fits almost perfectly with Crutchfiled's headmouting. There was a little play, but I used a black wire I had cut out to wedge in the gaps fill up the slop. The bluetooth is a usb adapter with will fit into one of two usb ports on the stereo. I recommend placing the bluetooth up front and running the usb rear wire somewhere easily accessable. This unit does not include a cd player. It only has 1 amp for output on the usb ports, but does come with a hands free microphone. It will take a little getting used to for navigation and configuration, but once you understand the menu operation, things do move a long much quicker. The bluetooth syncs perfectly with the Note 2 for mp3's and hands free voice. Great unit for the value and for anyone not looking for anyting too overly fancy. JVC offers an app on the Google play store for syncroniztion over usb with androiod phones, but with bluetooth connectivity, its not necessary.

Pros:LED color scheme options
Bluetooth connectivity for android and iphones
Hands free microphone
Wireless IR remote
USB port (two but one is used for bluetooth adapater)
For most commonly used functons, pretty ease to use

Cons:1 amp usb ports. With todays high powered smart phones and tablets, it'd be nice to have something in the 2 amp range as a power source.

Works Great!

Everything about this product is just as anticipated. First of all Crutchfield was great in packaging this with a everything I needed for installation. Instructions were easy, results were great. Sound excellent, appearance cool, easy to use. Hands free phone works well. I am not a techy or an adiophile, but greatly pleased with Crutchfield and this product. Thanks!

Pros:

Cons:None.

0 of 0 found this helpful

Good product

I bought this for my 04 Honda Odyssey to replace the factory stereo. I primarily use my iPhone for music/podcasts/etc. and have ceased using CD's. I was looking for a stereo that had the USB/iPod connection and bluetooth for hands free phone calling. This fit the bill and the budget. It was easy enough to install once I removed the portion of the dash. Sound quality is very good with the factory speakers. Everything works fine. The mic does ok but I do get reports of hearing road noise. I have it set down to the lowest sensitivity now. I'm generally happy with this unit but I don't know if I would buy it again. The controls are not particularly intuitive and I get irritated with the way it always switches to the iPod when I plug it in. For example, if I'm listening to the radio and plug in my iPhone, it automatically switches to the iPod and will start playing my music or Pandora depending. I mount the iPhone right in front of my (as my GPS) and would rather control the music from it than from the stereo. You can do this generally but you have to change the settings. Setting up the radio stations is a little hard to figure out too.

JVC KD-X50BT

Installed in a 09 E150 cargo van. The unit works nicely, and integrates well with iPhone4S. Callers do not complain of echo, background noise, or bad audio quality when using the hands free Bluetooth. Windshield time more pleasant now.

Pros:Front/Rear USB, Cardioid microphone, can choose display color to reduce glare at night. Automatically switches to iPhone and starts playing music when dock cable is plugged in.

Cons:Nested menus are clunky, no radio direct preset buttons, doesn't automatically switch back to last source when iPhone is unplugged.

1 of 1 found this helpful

Just go buy it

I have to say I was very hesitant about making the purchase but the Bluetooth connection sold me on the unit it's been about two weeks and I have to say I am extremely happy with the purchase. That and the fact that Crutchfield includes all adapter plates and connections needed it's a no-brainer.

2005 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon

Easy to install, esp mike for handsfree...call quality on handsfree is great...bluetooth is so worth it, esp at the price back in april. menus take some getting used to, but can be learned fairly easily, the bluetooth can be finicky at times, like others have pointed out, but it works most of the time and is such a great value for the stereo that to me it is worth it. i dont miss my cd player! and being able to charge the phone thru the usb as well as playing at the same time is a plus! no need for cigarette lighter adapters anymore! wish it had a detachable face. remote is nice, but i dont use it. colors of face and buttons is a cool feature. power output is fine for my 4 polk speakers and stock 6" sub. like it so much that i ordered another for my 99 ram. highly recommend!

Pros:bluetooth, handsfree, value

Cons:no detachable face

1 of 1 found this helpful

JVC KD-X50BT

I purchased the KD-50BT to upgrade the stereo in my 2000 VW Beetle. I had grown tired of the old casette player and 6 disc CD changer. After all, I haven't purchased a cassette (do they still make them) or a CD in years. This is my commuter car and driving to work, the gym and around town had become a bore. So I searched Crutchfield for a unit that would give me steaming and hand free driving. After reading the spec on the KD-X50BT, I knew it was the unit for me. The fact that it came with everything I need to install the unit, was a HUGE plus.

Cool receiver

This is a rather nice media receiver. It replaced the factory Delco AM/FM cassette in a 1995 GMC Sierra extended cab. The GM interface harness was simple a splice to the JVC harness, I was pleasantly surprised to find the wire colors actually matched, could we be approaching standardization? The head unit/adapter kit installed smoothly, best of all it looks and sounds great.

Pros:JVC quality and support. This little unit offers many features at a competitive price given the free installation instructions/accessories supplied by Crutchfield....a no hassle, even pleasant, purchase/install.

Cons:This may to any apply to any external bluetooth mic: I read several forums for opinions and experiences on installing an external microphone. I experimented until I found a compromise that kind of worked - During initial hands free call testing, the other party said they heard their voice echo. I kept them keep talking while I moved the mic around until the echo was at a minimum. I ask that Crutchfield consider adding Bluetooth/external microphone installation examples for a given vehicle.

Excellent Product

Excellent product! Might be a little redundant at this point, but product works great and buying from Crutchfield can't be beat. I now have bluetooth with my phone running through my 2002 civic, an older car with amenities of something new. Everything works great and can be controlled right through the head unit so no need to ever touch your phone while driving!

Pros:All of it!

Cons:None of it!

0 of 0 found this helpful

JVC KD-X50BT

Anonymous from America on 11/20/2012

Sounds great, easy to install, blue tooth works well. The colors are a little cheesy but there are so many ways you can customize the colors and brightness it doesn't really matter. I would absolutely recommend this to anyone and I have no regrets buying it and would buy it again.

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0 of 0 found this helpful

Great Buy!

Got the media player last Friday and installed it in my 2001 Mercedes E320 Saturday morning. Removal of the factory unit was made simple with tools and instructions supplied by Crutchfield. Installation for the most part was simple except for one wire which I needed to attach to the wire going to my lighter. When calling Crutchfield, they knew what kind of car I had and were ready to assist me. Great support from Crutchfield. I've enjoyed my media player since and the sound quality is great. Bluetooth works very well too.

Pros:Sounds great!

Cons:nothing so far

0 of 0 found this helpful

Another satisified customer

I installed the JVC X50 BT Digital Reciever & 2x NeW 6"x5" kicker front door speakers in my 04 civic with ease! The adapters RoCK!
The included wire harness adapter connector made the head unit installation smo00oth. I used marine grade heat shrink bullet crimp connectors to connect the adapter wiring leads to the head unit harness. Quick and reliable. tip: Be sure to use a real crimping tool for a sure connection. NOT pliers. Test by giving the wires a slight tug after crimping. I also checked continunity using a ohm meter, ... just for peace of mind! Total time: About 45 mins to wire up the harness.
2x NEW 6"x5" kicker 11DS60 speakers. tip: USE the included speaker adapter & DON'T clip your OEM speaker connector - like I did before hand ! The adapter plugs right into the connector.
The speaker mounting adapter rings worked great. hint: Be sure to center the adapter / speakers to the doors' weird speaker hole. My door panel / speaker enclosure- fit right the 1st time when I reassembled. I'm not sure of the tolerence allowed for offsetting so why take chances.
BE prepared to provide your own screws! To fasten the ring adapter to the car door frame I used 3x self tapping sheet metal screws. Instructions provided were clear- By rotating & removing a couple of the large tabs - the adapter sits flush to the metal door frame. No rattles. Also - I used 4 longer screws to secure speaker to the adapter.
GOOD-BYE COMMERCIAL BS FOREVER! Couldn't be happier!!

Pros:Fav features are the Blue tooth & front USB!
I put my entire music library on a couple usb sticks!
The BT sync'd up with my Samsung galaxy 3 android easily. I can listen to Pandora or talk on the phone hands-free.
The BT microphone has good sound quality & a generous long lead. I was able to clip it to the top of the trim running along side the windshield. At visor level its perfect for talking w/o shouting. The wiring tucks in neatly behind the trim & runs under the dash for a clean look.

Cons:Buy your own connectors and screws.
I'm sure the ones provided work on some cars but they didn't on mine.

2 of 2 found this helpful

Excellent

I just wanted a digital media player, and this is exactly it. Get a lot for the money, sound quality with the stock speakers greatly improved over the stock unit, my 5 yr old loves changing the colors on the display. Add in free parts for the installation, quick shipping, and Crutchfield customer service and you can't go wrong!

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0 of 0 found this helpful

Just like everyone else says

This is yet another review to tell you what you have already heard from everyone else. This head unit is amazing! Put it this way, since I have installed this unit in my Hyundai I have wanted to drive it more than my Benz. The instructions that came from Crutchfield were clear and easy to follow. My only advice would be to be careful when you take apart the dash. Make sure you document where each plug goes when you unplug them. I know this is should be obvious but when your in a rush you can easily switch plugs and have your dashboard not light up after you get it back together...opps. Easy fix though. I highly recommend this head unit and Crutchfield!
Advice for Hyundai Elantra: I installed the Bluetooth USB in front because its just a little numb and virtually disappears. I wired the rear USB to go to left side pocket, When you have the dash off all you need to do is drill a small hole into the top of the pocket and thread the USB into the pocket. This is very useful for hiding larger USB drives.

Pros:Bluetooth calls / Music / directions (from your phone)
MP3s
Radio Data Service
Custom color for day and night.

Cons:One line dot matrix display

0 of 0 found this helpful

Does everything well.

Very good unit. It does everything it is supposed to and it does it well. Crutchfield's order came with the correct color coded harness adapter and antenna adapter. The unit is relatively easy to use and it has multiple features that compare to higher priced units. For example, it can stream music via Bluetooth as well as make and receive calls. Tags work correctly, App Link Mode works fine with Pandora and the rest of the compatible apps. Reads flash drives and just about anything you can plug into the USB port. The tuner RDS works as well. You can update the firmware via USB from JVC's website. Multiple screen and keys color options help match the car's interior. Solid build and good quality. Optical media is dead, long live digital media.

Cons:I would really have to nit picking to find a con for this unit, but having a character lcd display in 2012 is a bit "retro". A higher res LCD would have been nice, but at this price the lack of it is understandable.

0 of 0 found this helpful

Very Good

Noah Way from NY on 11/10/2012

1981 Mercedes-Benz 280E

Excellent head unit, easy installation due to smart design, clear instructions and Crutchfield's vehicle-specific harness. Have enjoyed JVC quality for a long time, this unit is no exception.

Great product! Good value

Everything was included in the installation kit made for my vehicle, it was so easy to put together and worked instantly. Now I listen to music on my phone and talk without the phone in my ear, saved me quite a few tickets.

Pros:good sound quality, great response rate.

Cons:no cd for those who still uses CD players

0 of 0 found this helpful

Great!

Looks great, sound great, works great! The only problem I have is trying to remember how to work all of the different features, but that's not the HU's fault! Comes with everything you need to install. Highly recommended!

Pros:Great sound, looks cool, works great, amped front and rear outputs, plus two sets of preamp outputs, bluetooth, and usb, all for a great price.

Cons:A whole lot of features that need to be learned how to use (not really a con, but only one I could think of).

0 of 0 found this helpful

Good product, easy install thanks to Crutchfield

Installed this and 4 Polk Audio DXi400 speakers in my son's 1991 Volvo 240. Which was quite an upgrade, since the old (factory!) radio didn't work. Zero to awesome in just a few hours. The Crutchfield-supplied wiring harnesses and install instructions were easy enough to follow. I had removed some dash parts on a prior project, so I knew the dash removal steps already ... but I had no idea that there was a factory amplifier behind the lower dash, and the instructions were critical in locating that and wiring up the required amplifier bypass. Seriously, how would I have known that without the instructions? Great stuff, guys.
This product's features are great, and the price is right. Having multiple connectivity options (USB, bluetooth, 1/8" stereo in) is great. Not having a CD player is even better, no moving parts to fail. FM reception is excellent. Only real knock on this product is that it would be nice if it was easier to switch between connected bluetooth devices. A few too many menu clicks to switch from one phone to another. Admittedly not a frequent activity, but still.

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0 of 0 found this helpful

good experience

I took off one star because of sound quality. It's not horrible but the highs seem quite a bit more shrill than my previous sony. Other than that, I've had a great experience. Install was a snap with the included adaptor plugging directly into the wiring harness of my truck (Ford F150). Paired immediately with my Evo phone; callers report good sound when making and receiving calls. Since it's now against the law to speak on the phone while driving in Vegas, this hands-free solution works great. If I leave the bluetooth radio in my phone on, the unit automatically syncs with my phone in 5 to 10 seconds. I can even access voice dialing if I need to. Using the menu system while driving may take your attention off the road at first, but I suspect that will diminish as I get more accustomed to the product. Great job JVC and a remarkable price point.

What a difference!!

I've installed 2 now. First, 2009 Nissan Altima with the factory basic stereo. The difference was incredible and my stepdaughter was so happy with the difference that we didn't need to change the speakers or add a sub.
The second: The Mighty Saturn (2002 SL) with the stock CD unit. This installation wasn't as dramatic, but 4 new (cheap) Kicker DS65 made this car so much more enjoyable to listen to music. I listen to everything from Mozart to Skrillex and this unit will play it all loudly and clearly.
Bluetooth worked well and paired to our phones easily enough. However, I don't like the degradation of the higher frequencies over BT, so I play through the USB drive. The BT phone sound quality (microphone) worked very well in the Nissan, not as well in the Saturn. The Saturn has more wind and road noise which may be a contributing factor. Both applications had the mic mounted toward the top of the left A-pillar.
While the EQ presets are easy for the average person, someone who's pickier will enjoy the user settable EQ. Granted, it's only three bands, but you can change the center frequency and gain of all three bands as well as adjust the Q for the lower two band. With a few reference tracks, I had the sound in my Saturn very much to my liking, even with its 6.75" speakers.
Love the dimmable display and buttons. Tip for Saturn owners: Use the wire marked "illumination", not "dimmer" when connecting to the car's wiring.
I really recommend this head unit.

Pros:

Cons:Needs > 5 seconds when turning on the ignition to read the USB drive and to start playing music.

0 of 0 found this helpful

Goodbye to CD's

I wanted something I could just plug into and play the music off my phone or MP3 player... I drive a old truck with a bench seat, it already doesn't have much room and I didn't want CD's all over the seat so this is perfect for me.

Pros:Just plug in your phone or mp3 player it's that easy.
Color selections for the buttons and displays are awesome.

Cons:Notthing so far

0 of 0 found this helpful

Works great

Upgraded my factory stereo to this and am very happy. I have a mount that holds my iPhone in a position easy to see for navigation, or picking music and podcasts. I quickly found that I prefer using bluetooth to plugging my phone in. I'm not a huge Pandora user, but if you plug the phone in, the head unit controls thumbs up/down, displays song titles etc. Otherwise, it still works great over Bluetooth, and because my phone is mounted on my dashboard, it's a far better interface than the head unit itself. Most of what I do is listening to my music (from the phone), or podcasts. Even over bluetooth the head unit can be used to skip tracks back and forth, pause and will display track name. I far prefer using the phone to select music than the head unit. No head unit comes close to Apple's UI. I am loving the bluetooth because it will mute the music for navigation instructions, or pause it for an incoming call. I keep the BT plug in the front port, and have a long USB cable in the back going to my hidden old 5th gen iPod. That way I can keep almost my entire music library on hand. Sometimes on a long drive you suddenly want to listen to a band you have not listened to in a few years, and I don't have room on my phone for EVERYTHING. The aux input is great if you may have somebody else in the car with a phone/iPod that you want to listen to, and don't want to pair their phone (unit can pair with 2 phones if I remember right).

Pros:Sounds great. Easy to use. Great iPod interface, easy to skip through saved radio stations. Works with iPhone5 plugged into USB or via Bluetooth. 2 USB, aux minijack and bluetooth gives you a LOT of options.

Cons:None yet. Works as described, and that was just what I was looking for.

0 of 0 found this helpful

Wow, an AMAZING receiver!!! Simply the best!

Not sure what else to say. This deck is simply awesome. I bought it for the Bluetooth capability and the USB port. Wow. It is so cool to be able to use my iPhone 5 in the car with either the USB or the Bluetooth. The sound is awesome from this deck and installation was easy. l love the remote and the entire layout of the deck as well. I love everything about it. In fact, I will be buying another for my other car. I HIGHLY recommend.

Pros:Bluetooth, Remote, USB, Ease of Install, Looks

Cons:NONE!

0 of 0 found this helpful

Awesome sound and easy installing

It was very nice stereo unit. This is first time changed stereo set but I succeeded to install the unit easy. Although I dont live in USA, I ordered that item from this site. And I received the package safely. There's no any problem to install the unit. I got some help to choose the set of the unit from Crutchfield.com. I thank to my seller Chad.

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2 of 2 found this helpful

Great value!!!

Even after reading most of the reviews before purchasing I was still pleasantly surprised with how great this receiver is! I was replacing a Kenwood CD/digital receiver purchased about 5 years ago. My iPod sounds better via Bluetooth on this system than by USB on the old stereo. It was very easy to install. The controls are so easy to use. I was able to move through the menus and settings within minutes of installation. Plus my 13 year old daughter loves the display settings that constantly changes color. No regrets on this purchase.

Excellent Choice

I waited a year while I tried to decide on which car stereo I wanted to get. I looked through all the price ranges, and all the reviews I could find. I kept coming up with this one. All the reviews dealt with Bluetooth, not the USB function. What I wanted was to both eliminate the old CD player in my 2001 Jetta, and have USB input. It is the only good way for me to truly seperate my music from my audiobooks. I settled on this, due to all the good reviews, and the promises of good customer service from Crutchfield if I made a mistake.
The installation was a breeze. With the included adapters, and the pocket to fill the empty dinn, everything looks great. I can not speak of Crutchfield's customer service since I didn't need any assistance. One tip, format your USB to Fat32, NOT NTFS. Once that was done, everything played well. I use a 16GB Thumb for my music, and a 32GB thumb for my audiobooks. The reason for this is both my big collection, and it is a bit hard to navigate through the folder structures from the USB, but I have seen that this is true with all the stereos that I looked at. After the first day, I created a folder called Favorites, and use that as my playlist. I haven't used the Bluetooth, but all the other reviews deal with that.
I have to say, I am happy with my choice, and would recommend to my friends and family.

Pros:Sound quality, installation ease, and all the "extras" you get from Crutchfield make up for any price difference you might get locally.

Cons:Navigation of folder structures.

2 of 2 found this helpful

Great unit!

An excellent choice to replace the factory head unit in my car. I was looking for a better alternative to keeping cds in my car and going digital has been the way to go. I love the fact that there are no moving parts (less to go wrong) and I don't have fumble around with switching cds. I purchased a 16gb USB drive which allows me to have a ton of songs on hand. Sound quality is great and the bluetooth feature is very handy for hands free calling and listening to Pandora. While there is a bit of a learning curve with such a different type of player, all of the controls and features are easily and quickly learned. Installation was a snap with the excellent assistance of Crutchfield tech support. Definitely pleased with this purchase.

Pros:All digital, great sound quality, easy to use

Cons:I guess the unit could be smaller considering it doesn't play cds., but that doesn't really matter because the single DIN size fits perfectly in my dash.

1 of 1 found this helpful

nice but not perfect

Very reasonable price, and I like the one touch mute. BUT the ONLY way that I can use my first generation iPod touch is through the aux input. When I plug it in to the usb it will not work at all. Later generations seem to work fine.

Pros:

Cons:

0 of 0 found this helpful

Who knew not having a CD player would be so much fun?!

The Quality is better than I expected. I got a 64GB tiny thumb drive, loaded it up and never have to worry about a CD again. Bluetooth is also flawless, connecting every time I get in the car. Pandora over Bluetooth is awesome as well.
Super easy to install -- the hardest part was removing my factory deck.

Pros:Great sound, easy to use, looks great.

Cons:More software features would be nice with playing music from the USB input.

1 of 1 found this helpful

LOVE IT

I love this head unit. I bought it to put into my work car so that I could stream audiobooks from my phone on long drives. Also we are required to use hands free devices for calls when driving company cars so the handsfree calling stuff was a huge bonus (I hated my bluetooth earpiece). It was a little bit of a pain to find a place to stick the Mic down in my car where it would work well but that's more my car's fault. If anyone is looking for a place btw the steering column worked well for me. I just had to sort of poke the wire through the dash to hide it.

Pros:Works like a dream. Inexpensive.

Cons:It doesn't cook me breakfast in the mornings?

0 of 0 found this helpful

Happy

This stereo was easy to install, my wife loves the colors for the background lights. She likes the demo mode beacause it keeps changing the colors. Also we play our music from USB Flash drives, and it is so easy! I want one for my car now. The extra cable for USB is also handy.

Pros:Easy install. Simple face with not a lot of buttons.

Cons:Learning to use the volume to program everything. But once you learn its simple!

JVC KD-X50BT

Couple of aannoying "features"

Chris from Baltimore, Md on 9/18/2012

This unit has two major flaws that the engineers missed. Now, this is my first experience with anything Bluetooth, but when playing a video with the audio coming through the BT, the audio is about a second or two behind the video. The second thing which annoys me, when playing a video, the display on the unit shows the state of the phone's audio player, and there's no changing it. The screen with either display Stop or Pause. Off you hit the button to change the display, the clock will show, but only momentarially. I called tech support and they said there's nothing you can do to change it. So, when streaming anything except audio through BT, you'll be staring at PAUSE as you ease on down the road.

Great media receiver

Overall this is a great media receiver. I have no regrets that I have skipped on the CD drive and have only USB connectors. This radio has Bluetooth, two USB ports (one occupied by BT), front auxiliary port and nice color display. Pretty much all you need in a car radio. The controls are well placed and easy to use. One thing I like in JVC receiver better than Pioneer I had before that the pause is accessible by pressing the main button. In Pioneer, I had to perform a series of clicks in the menu to get to pause feature. I have not rated this receiver high on value because looking at it, it is almost empty inside and very light. Not a problem here but if there is no CD drive mechanism and the price of receivers with CDs are similar, I would expect the media receiver to have a bit better display or at least one more USB port. I like this receiver but I wish I spent bit more money and went with another JVC receiver that has bigger display. It is kinda hard to read the mp3 tags with the constant scrolling.

Just what I needed

This is just what I wanted to replace the aging factory radio in my 2003 Subaru WRX. I don't listen to CDs anymore and spend more time listening to podcasts and other audio on my iPhone than anything else. In the DC Metro area, finding an open frequency for an FM transmitter connected to my iPhone was becoming tedious. Plus, I wanted hands-free calling and Bluetooth. Unit arrived basically overnight even though I just had standard shipping. With the Crutchfield install kit (wiring harness, filler for the other half of the 2-DIN hole since this is a single DIN unit, and clear instructions), I had the old unit out and this unit in within 40 minutes.

Cons:- Long cable wasted on the USB Bluetooth dongle. You basically have to plug the BT connector into the front of the unit or into the long cable. Would have preferred that the Bluetooth piece was integrated.

0 of 0 found this helpful

Almost didnt get it

Anonymous from memphis on 9/4/2012

After researching car stereos for aboout a week I kept coming back to this one. I intended on buying a double din for my 1994 88 oldsmobile. I replaced the factory cd/tape deck which served me well. I bought an Alpine cde133bt but it didnt come with a remote(I needed them beause I have steering wheel controls). So I went back on the hunt. The jvckd x50bt is a good unit. I like the ability to use pandora and I downloaded the JVC app to control the deck. I like the ability to change colors to match the gm green almost perfect. It even looks ok in the double din slot using a kit. The bluetooth works well and the remote is ok just basic..

Great product for the money

Bought this unit to replace stock stereo from a 2004 Subaru Forester XT. Installation was a breeze - only hiccup I had was that I forgot to remove the sleeve and front surrounds from the stereo before I installed it into the car, but that is my fault for not reading the installation manual. Sound qualify from AUX and USB is very good, but BT streaming isn't as good, but still perfectly acceptable. BT pairing was a breeze, didn't even need to read a manual to figure it out. Phone call quality is good for how much it costs. Variable color display lets you match stock gauge cluster and HVAC controls if you wish. I almost docked a point for the display, since the fonts in the display is needlessly too big and thus doesn't display enough characters, but again you have to factor in the value. Also, I don't know about others, but I can't seem to display song title names when playing through BT streaming.

Pros:All the features you want at value-price
BT pairing is super easy
Menu is intuitive

Cons:Display leaves a lot to be desired...but what did you expect at this price?

1 of 1 found this helpful

Iphone user - Worth every penny

This replaced the factory reciever in my 2001 Sierra 1500 pickup. I have an Iphone3GS and mostly listen to Pandora. I had no problems using the head unit to control Pandora when connected via USB, but via bluetooth I can only skip and mute songs (can't do a thumbs up/down), but not a major issue for me. Sound quality on bluetooth is great, and making/receiving calls through the radio works as if it was designed for it. It's really nice to just hop in the car, lauch Pandora, and have it automatically connect-up and play through the receiver without having to plug in a cable. It's perfect. Front speakers (JL Audio TR525-CXi) replaced blown factory speakers a year ago, and this unit really brings them to life. My rear speakers (Polk Audio db461p) are better than stock, but a bit flat and I can't recommend them. If you still have stock speakers you will want to at leat replace the front or you won't be happy. Crutchfield wiring harness made installation a breeze, and if I had another vehicle that needed a radio I'd buy another one.

KD-X50BT - 06 Jeep Rubicon - 7 Speaker system (stock)

Received in record shipping time (always a plus when ordering through Crutchfield) came with free wiring harness, antenna adapter etc. (everything you need to do a clean quick install) . . . . Removal of stock head unit was a breeze, install was a breeze . . . Setup took a bit to figure out, its kind of complicated and no easy way to access the menu . . . Install produced instant sound clarity with stock speakers & stock sub (had some extra bump) . . . . I bought this because i havent bought or used a CD in at least 5 years, it will charge my iphone & play music through my iphone & ipad . . . . BT connect takes a bit long some times & sometimes just wont connect unless i turn BT ON/OFF on my phones settings . . . . The BT clarity is as good as a direct aux or usb input, its really un-real . . . BT holds up for about 20 feet and starts getting staticky and cutting out (included mic for "hands free" is great and is very small and easily hidden). . . .This is hands down the best $120 i have ever spent and would gladly do it again in a heart beat . . . i think i have talked 2 of my buddies into this head unit as well . . . its has a nice clean stock look as well . . . Oh and another + you can customize the lights (day/night) which is a nice little customization tool to be included . . . i do wish the screens pixels were a bit better, but i imagine "Retina" display in a head unit would be BIG $$ and a little unnecessary !

Great head unit but lacks the bluetooth it claims to have.

I really like my new JVC head unit. Installation was absolutely a breeze and the ease of set up, once installed was great! The only issue I have is with the Bluetooth function it claims to have. It won't connect to my phone and after researching from JVC, only iPhone or Blackberry phones can connect to it. Even though the Bluetooth doesn't connect the receiver itself is great.

Excellent unit for the money

I bought this unit after my old pioneer cd deck blew up. Well, actually it blew up four years ago. I was waiting for the technology to work itself out. This unit packs big value for the price. I have an iPhone 4 and I was able to set it up with the unit in ~3min. When I get in the car it takes about 30 sec to find and sync but then I'm streaming spotify. Base amp sounds pretty good, great for driving rears. I like the display options. Comes with a mic for handfree calling. I would say, great value all-around.

Pros:Price, features, simple setup.

Cons:Nothing yet. Too new to know. Will update in 90 days or so.

1 of 1 found this helpful

ISSUE WITH THE CLOCK

Being an electrical engineer that designs radios for a living, JVC has a design issue that requires attention. Installed the radio without a hitch. Programmed a variety of setting including the clock via the owners manual. A few days later the clock froze, 6:01 AM, and I could not set it after many attempts. Eventually I had to reset it the radio and the programming process all start over. The clock kept time for 3 days then stuck at 6:01 AM again. So I drove to work and after 40 minutes the clock began working. This time I was able to set the clock to the correct time. Decided to sent the radio back for a replacement. Replaced the radio and after programming all the setting to my liking, once again the clock set itself to 6:01 AM. I reset it again, reprogrammed it again and I noticed the clock would do this while programming the radio stations. Also one of the program setting calls out "CLOCK ADJUST" and two options are given "AUTO" and "OFF". There is no mention of "CLOCK ADJUST" whatesoever in the owners manual. Therefore I have no clue what this function is for. I set this to the "OFF" condition and the clock seems up to the point to be working fine. On a positive note the radio and all other functions work fine including the bluetooth. It sounds great.

JVC rocks!

Since very long ago I noticed my factory 300m Infinity stereo having reception problems. I love my car and I try to keep it as original as possible and I was thinking about replacing the stereo with another factory Infinity stereo. I was worried about fit and looks without the double din original stereo. Finally I was convinced to replace it with an aftermarket one and I looked for a Bluetooth capable stereo. After a lot of research came to the JVC KDX50BT. A digital media stereo? No way! I thought it was not right to get rid of CD playing stereo in my car! Then I realized CDs sucks. They take a lot of space,are prone to scratches and they are expensive. Who needs them? This stereo is incredible! Starting by the price(including shipping, adapter and cable harness) and ending by it features. Crystal clear sound,super cool color changing, remote control,very good Bluetooth capability, wired mic for clear communication,high power MOSFET,great EQ and a very beautiful face to match that body( just like Jennifer Lopez! ).. JVC built a great quality stereo for half the price of other brands. If you are looking for a sensible priced great replacement stereo look no further. I am absolutely impressed by how cheap is to get a great sounding and looking stereo. 100% recommended!!!

Pros:wired mic for bluetooth,beautiful and practical color changing(matches vehicle original dash colors), clear sound and reception,easy of use,price and looks.

Simple with good performance.

This jvc unit is everything I want. Easy to use, good sound, and complete control of my iPhone. If you want to be able to adjust every aspect of your sound and not preselected soundstages, I'd opt for something a little higher end. But if your just looking to upgrade your ride to options a newer car comes with this is a great choice. Love the thumbs up thumbs down for pandora. Great choice, great price, even better crutchfield customer support.

Pros:Adjustable color
Easy to use
Good sound

Cons:No removable faceplate.

0 of 0 found this helpful

Great Value

Overall features for the price are excellent. Custom color matches the dash light well. Dump all your music on one thumb drive and you are good to go - leave it in the car and dont worry about bringing your ipod or not.

Pros:Color customization
Bluetooth audio streaming - next song functions work with music apps other than Pandora
Deep EQ conrol

Cons:Wish it had a rear Aux Input too.
Bluetooth call quality could be better.
Bluetooth streaming connectivity can occasionally be finicky.

0 of 0 found this helpful

Amazing!!!!

Once again Crutchfield at their very best! Not only did I buy one but a month later bought the 2nd one! The ease from Crutchfield's help install guides and wiring kits not only makes it the perfect IPod/iPad friendly out there! I've said for years they need to get rid of cd players and just have a stereo with hook ups just for IPod/iPad PERFECT!!! Love it! Thank You Crutchfield!

Great product for the price

A great product for the price. I love that you can adjust the display colors to match the color of your dash lights. Makes it look like it was built for the car. You get all the features of a more expensive radio at the price you can afford.

Good unit for the price

I wanted an inexpensive unit that included a digital media player and built-in blue tooth. This met all my requirements. I rarely use the phone in the car, so the fact that my voice sounds choppy to whomever I call is not a big deal. The mic is mounted on the visor, and chop is present even when calling from my driveway with the engine off. Also, the caller hears an echo of their voice. To my ears the caller's voice comes through very clearly. My older LG phone paired with no trouble. This unit has a minimum of separate controls, so it can be a bit troublesome to operate. All the buttons work well, yet you have to remember which does what, when, and sort through the menus for many functions. The tuner seems to have good sensitivity. I was able to play MP3 files from a USB thumb drive with no problem. This seems a good value for the low price.

Pros:Plays from a USB thumb drive. Blue tooth works pretty well. It was easy to install. Strong tuner. Sounds good.

Cons:There does not seem to be an OFF switch. If you don't want to hear it you turn the sound down and the lights stay on. It goes off only when you turn the car key off. I haven't had it long enough to know whether this will be an annoyance or not.

1 of 3 found this helpful

Terrific unit

I had very specific requirements, since I had very little space for mounting in my Miata. Initially this was flagged that it would not fit, but my Crutchfield rep did some quick research and let me know that it would be tight on depth, but it would fit. She was correct........... I also ordered a plug adapter for the Miata harness that made the install much easier. The instructions that came with the unit were very clear and made the install fairly easy. Very impressed with the unit, easy to use and sounds terrific. Crutchfield support is the best I have dealt with (even available on the weekends)

Great stereo! Especially for the price.

This stereo rocks, especially with the Rockford Fosgate speakers. I wanted to upgrade the stock stereo in my daughter's Ford Focus and narrowed the search down to the JVC KD-X50BT based on customer reviews, price and the Bluetooth connectivity. We were not disappointed!

Happy with the purchase

Very happy so far. Bluetooth (handsfree + streaming) works great using my WP7 Nokia Lumia (this was the primary reason I got it). The other end of the call can hear me just fine without any noticeable echo. I like the changing of the LED color to match the existing car. Sound quality seems on par with factory (Mazda 3 2010) stereo. Would have preferred a remote control that allowed you to make and control calls. As it stands, the head unit must be used.

Pros:Decent features, including working bluetooth support for handsfree/streaming
Inexpensive
Got all installation parts for my Mazda 3 2010 included from Crutchfield. Thanks

Cons:There doesn't seem to be "application" support for Windows Phone 7 (even though streaming or handsfree works)

great unit for the money

probably the best unit you can get under $100. also, i have a 6.0 f350 with exhaust and lots of mods, and if you know anything about that motor it is LOUD! the provided microphone for the bluetooth works flawlessly on the roof center console. people on the other end of the phone call cant hear any of the truck/road noise. also, being in the center my wife and i can both talk on the same phone call without having to move the microphone or yourself to be heard.

Pros:looks great, excellent connectivity with usb and an aux port, bluetooth works well.

Cons:menus are kind of tough to get used to and navigate. too bad they didnt take the extra space in the unit otherwise used to a cd player to add in a more powerful amplifier.

Great if it works for you

All of the features great bang for the buck. Unfortunately it had blue tooth connectivity issues with a Droid X and a Samsung Galaxy S. I also have a 2010 Pioneer and it connects every time , it also does not drop the connection. I read that others are having the same issue. The firmware update did not help. So I ended up getting another Pioneer HU and no issues. Unfortunately the Pioneer units at this price point are hideous.

Pros:Great features for the price, good looking unit.

Cons:It did not work properly, I had it replaced and same issues came up. The X80BT had the same problems.

2 of 6 found this helpful

Awesome Head Unit for the price, great features

This is a great, low-priced head unit. All of my CDs have been ripped to various media devices, so not having a CD player isn't in anyway a detriment. I'm a dedicated Android phone user- the bluetooth streaming is really nice, and pairs up very quickly. The 'Colorflow' settings provide entertainment for my kids in the car as they watch the screen and buttons change colors .

Pros:Excellent sound. Bluetooth streaming and hands free phone calling is excellent. Length of cable for the mic is perfect for setting it up at my head on the visor.

Cons:I wish the Android pandora streaming was a little more user friendly- I still haven't gotten it to work correctly, although my wife's iPhone works as expected. Buttons for changing the radio presets aren't easily accessible when driving. Included remote is *really* tiny.

JVC KD-X50BT

The value of this product is amazing. The KD-X50BT was exactly what I was looking for, and the absence of a CD drive keeps the price down to what could easily be sold as a $200-250 unit. When researching audio receivers I was looking for 3 things. 1. iPod control, 2. Hands free calling, 3. Ability to adjust the color to match my interior illumination. This product has all of that.
I chose to do the install myself, with my 2005 Pontiac GTO. Crutchfield is amazing for a do-it-yourself person. All the instructions in the MasterSheet were clear. I did have an issue on the last step, but a quick call to their Tech support was a great experience. Another issue I ran into was mounting the JVC into my dash mounting kit. The JVC did not supply ISO mounting screws that I needed. (Keep that in mind if your application needs them.) I had to run down to my local install place and purchase these ISO screws for a dollar.
How does it sound? In short, it sounds amazing. It may not have as many customizable audio settings as the more pricy units, but I was surprised how good it did sound right out of the box. At the time of writing this review I haven't had a chance to dig deep into the audio adjustments. But I haven't felt the need to either. Compared to my stock stereo, the sound is much clearer. FM channels have a better signal, and the overall sound is punchy, rich and loud!

Pros:Amazing value, sound and features!

Cons:Controls are not as intuitive as they could be. There's a slight learning curve. Also the display info seems a little limited. I wish there was a way to always display the time.

0 of 0 found this helpful

WOW!

I was really worried about going to this lower end JVC from a Kenwood eXcelon KDC-X494. All I can say is I was wrong! This unit sounds great in my Frontier with Pioneer tweeters, Kicked DS 6x9's in the front doors, and Kicked DS 6.5's in the rear doors. I never used the CD player on my Kenwood and I really wanted Bluetooth. This deck is great. The Bluetooth calling is crystal clear, the music over Bluetooth is very clean as well. I even have a USB hub in my glove box, connected to the rear USB. The Bluetooth adapter AND a USB flash drive work fine in it.
The ability to change the display and button color is great too. It's nice to have that "stock" look with all the lights matching.
For the price, you cant beat this unit!

Pros:Bluetooth, sound quality, color match interior lights

Cons:Menu navigation is a little clunky and takes some getting used to

JVC KD-X50BT

The JVC KD-X50BT is an outstanding unit. So far I am EXTREMELY pleased with my decision to purchase and install this. If you don't care about having a CD player this may be perfect for you. It has a USB input and will play music from that or you can play via Bluetooth, or AUX jack ont the front. Speaking of the bluetooth...wow it works flawlessly. I ordered the optional steering wheel control adapter for my 2004 Nissan Altima and it works great. The instructions that were inluded from Crutchfield were easy to understand. Total installation time for me (1st time ever) was three hours.

Pros:Media player with RDS and bluetooth at a great price! Superb value.

Cons:Integration of the steering wheel control, wiring harness adapter, and media unit required the bulk of the install time and was more difficult to understand.

Economical Bluetooth Player

The JVC KD-X50BT is an excellent digital media receiver for under $100. This was my first install, which took me about two hours thanks to Crutchfield's excellent instructions. I use a Galaxy S phone with Cyanogenmod 9 (ICS). It connects automatically in about 20 seconds, plays my media via bluetooth, and works great with the phone. Initially I had trouble with the JVC unit displaying the song information via Bluetooth on my phone. I tried the stock player as well as the most recent version of PowerAmp (2.0.6 build-508) without success. I downloaded the trial of PlayerPro Music Player, turned on the AVRCP support in the Media Library settings, and now it displays my song titles. My wife's phone also connects to the device, along with my iPod via bluetooth.

Outstanding!

Although I had to call Customer Support once (and they were helpful as always) this was an easy install. While everything is geared specifically for i-this and i-that, my Galaxy Nexus has no problem pairing and playing my music via blue tooth. I would definitely recommend this head unit to someone looking for a great set up.

Pros:Ease of install, connectivity with my Galaxy Nexus AND my iPod, the great sound.

Great Stereo for the Price

I put this head unit into my 1999 BMW M3 Convertible. Installation was a piece of cake. I had to call Crutchfield customer support one Sunday and they were very helpful, walking me through my sticking point. I absolutely love the Bluetooth functionality. I rarely talk on my cell phone with the convertible top down because of all of the wind noise. After installing the stereo and mounting the mic right in front of my speedometer, I'm amazed at the quality of the system. I have had no complaints from people that I have spoke to through the BT. I LOVE streaming music from my iphone. I know that the unit supports Pandora, but I use MOG and was unsure of what functionality would be available. Well, it's all there. Not only can I play my music through MOG but the head unit will display what track is playing and i can control the music through the head unit or my phone. As far as the sound goes, I'm not an audiophile which should be obvious from my purchase, but the sound is perfect for me. Overall I am extremely happy with this unit.

Pros:Ease of installation
Value
Bluetooth
Various lighting options

Cons:Display is slightly dim

0 of 0 found this helpful

Great product at a great price

I have had this unit installed for a few days now and I couldn't be happier. The Bluetooth was easy to set up and the sound quality is great, the sound quality of the music is also much better than my factory unit, I installed this in my cargo van that has only two factory speakers up front and it's crystal clear. I'm really happy I was able to get this without a CD player and save a little bit considering I never even play CDs in any of my vehicles, I just use my ipod.

Pros:Easy to use, great sound, seamless integration of Bluetooth and ipod

Cons:none

0 of 0 found this helpful

Excellent stock replacement

This is my first car update in years so for what it's worth...
Bought this to replace the broken stock unit in my old Explorer. Installation was simple other than not having a pre-made factory-to-aftermarket harness. (sad old man soldering looks sad) I'm still using it with the awful original speakers.
I use the BT dongle in the face USB port to keep things looking as basic as possible. The rear USB extension drops down and thumb drives plug in behind my console.
The Bluetooth feature is wonderful. I paired my DX and had pandora playing almost immediately. Surprisingly good sound quality! The hands-free phone feature works very nicely. Be sure to connect the microphone or you'll be sad first time it answers the phone.
The FM receiver works well and picks up twice the stations as the original, with the same antenna.
The unit takes longer than I'd like to scan a 16GB thumb drive each time it's powered up, but once it's going the playback and navigation are good. I'd love if it could play FLACs but it only knows mp3 and wav. I'll probably get used to the buttons but I wish there was some kind of joystick for navigating songs & directories.
Overall sound quality seems quite good relative to the original deck but these single-cone speakers are a disaster. The next update is obvious. I'd definitely buy it again. A bargain for less than a Benjamin.

Pros:Sound quality, bt features, appearance, cost

Cons:Could use wider display for song titles. Joystick would improve folder browsing.

0 of 0 found this helpful

Perfect for the Price: 2011 Ford F-450 Super Duty

I got this radio for my 2011 F-450 Super Duty. I was told by multiple sources that I required a $120 wiring harness even though I had a simple AM/FM radio without steering wheel controls and I did not have Microsoft Sync. Crutchfield was the only source that gave me the correct information and hooked me up with a $10 wiring harness that did the job perfectly.
I have only had the unit for a couple of weeks, so I am still learning to use some of the functions, but for the most part it is very simple to use and get the hang of. The Blue Tooth feature works amazingly well. I have my iPhone 4S and a cheap Motorola work phone connected all day long and have not had any problems making calls or streaming music from my iPhone. People on the receiving end of my calls get a little bit of echo as their voice is played back through my speakers, but I have not yet played with the built-in Noise Reduction feature, which I imagine will sort some of that out.
I also use the USB to connect my iPod and the quality is just as good there; the connection will charge the iPod, and also gives you the option to control the music selection through the radio via folders (my collection is way to large for that) or to control the music selection via the iPod as you normally would. The auxiliary jack works as expected and does not cause any hum or static--the connection seems solid.
Also has awesome color control of using RGB scales for night/day/menu, so you have full control over screen color.

Pros:Great BT for iPhone4S calling and music streaming, iPhone4S/iPod integration is perfect via USB and iPod docking cable (not included), AUX jack is solid, Color Controls are great, NO ANTIQUATED CD PLAYER!!!, Easy to use, Best value--good quality for a great price!

Cons:None so far. Will update if necessary.

1 of 1 found this helpful

Great stereo for the price

I bought this unit to replace the stock radio in my '99 Jeep Wrangler. This was purchased for 2 reasons: 1. Ability to connect my Android phone and listen to Pandora 2. Bluetooth hands-free calling
This radio works great using both. The stereo menu takes a little bit to get used to, but once you have played with it a couple of times you will find it easy to use. It has many customizable options, including EQ and face plate colors. My daughter can plug her iPod into the head unit and it automatically switches to USB mode *and* charges her device at the same time. For my Android phone, I was able to easily sync via bluetooth, listening to Pandora or my MP3's. The hands free feature works great too - it even syncs the address book and alerts me when a text message comes in.
The only reason I give this a 4 star for sound quality is because I did not replace the stock speakers in the Jeep and the audio still doesn't sound as good as I had hoped, but that's no-fault to the JVC device - I can't accurately give an opinion here because I don't have another vehicle to check the quality of the device vs speakers. It *has* dramatically improved my Jeep's audio.. just not 100% to my liking.
I would definitely recommend this head unit! Buying from Crutchfield was quick and easy and they sent the instructions on how to tear apart the dash for a faster installation.

JVC KD-X50BT

I bought it on sale and I am very pleased with the stereo. It has tons of features. Bluetooth control, ipod control, the phone feature is what I never knew I needed. The quality is overall really good. Simple, easy install. I plan on buying this unit for another car sometime soon.

Pros:Voice calling is the best! I've had Bluetooth headsets, cassette/phone adapters and I have never used it as much as I do now. You can call someone within 3 clicks and is a breeze. My new best friend Bluetooth works great for music as well. I can have a song picked out walking to the car, jump in and in a few seconds it will be playing. It has a amazing WOW factor. Friends really like it and think I spent hundreds of dollars.

Cons:Navigation for the iPod is weak. Bluetooth control usually connects to default android music player not whatever program you use (tunewiki). Takes about 10 seconds to connect to your phone via bluetooth when car is turned on. Unit came with older firmware.

0 of 0 found this helpful

Wow!!

This head unit rocks!! I installed it in my 2002 Trailblazer and am using it with my Motorola Razer Maxx from Verizon, and the bluetooth connectivity works great! I always wanted a stereo to play loud while driving, and kick off automatically when a phone call comes in or a text and this fits the bill!! I use the rear usb for my bluetooth and the front usb for a 8 GB flash drive with over 60 CD's on it! I have used Real Player to convert my CD's to MP3's and now no more skipping if I hit a bump or pothole!!! The only thing I haven't figured out yet is how to find a album quickly on my flash drive. But I also can use the Google My Music app on my phone which lists albums and each song on it to find a song quickly. And with streaming bluetooth, my phone can be in my pocket or cupholder and I can select while driving. I also uploaded my CD's to Google Play, and they can be downloaded easily from Google if my phone crashes! Also I love using the I Heart Radio app to listen to hard rock, metal, or classic rock without any commercial interruption!!! I love this head unit!!!!! It fit perfectly in my dash, and with Crutchfield support, was quite easy installing myself! Now I'm thinking of replacing my Infinity speakers with JL Audio ones and perhaps a powered subwoofer! Buy this unit, you wont regret it!

Pros:Everything! Better than CD's!!!

Cons:Nothing

0 of 0 found this helpful

Awesome radio

This is a really good radio for this price, installation was easy, the only issue I had was that the anntena cable in the car (Subaru 1999) was much too short so I had to buy an extension other than that everything is working great. The one concern I had about this radio was the Bluetooth, I read some reviews and people were having issues with streaming music via the Bluetooth I haven't had any problems and I was surprised how good it sounds through the radio. Overall a great upgrade.

Pros:Great sound lots of options, nice looking, great price value

Cons:With my old radio I had buttons with radio stations, This radio does not have buttons for that purpose, but I think it will just take some time to get used to the way this radio does memorized stations

0 of 0 found this helpful

Bought Two of Them!

My friend saw this receiver on Slick deals and told me about it so I bought one for my wife's 2008 Honda Pilot. Once I received and and got it installed, I liked it sooooo much that I just bought one for my 2008 Honda Element! Definitely worth the money!!!

Pros:

Cons:

0 of 0 found this helpful

JVC KD-X50BT used w/ BB Torch 9810

gunplt from Knoxville, Tn on 6/21/2012

Nice Unit with nice features, especially for the price but that is only tru if the features work reliably. I bought this because I am commuting 6 hours one way about every 3 weeks so I am spending a lot of time in my car. Wanted BT handsfree calling & BT music streaming. The calling functions work exactly as they should but the BT music streaming via Pandora is very unreliable and frustrating!

Pros:Many

Cons:No help with troubleshooting intermittent connection problems...3 different parties involved & all pointing fingers at each other...Pandora, JVC, Blackberry.

Good value, easy to install

The four star rating primarily reflects value, but the sound quality is better than my factory stereo. The Bluetooth connects every time, but as others have stated it takes about 20 seconds, which I don't mind at all.
My biggest issue involves the equalizer. It's been somewhat difficult to dial it in on my speakers. This may be a function of my speakers, but until I upgrade those I won't know that for sure. I do know that the factory stereo was better able at playing different music genres effectively while using the same settings. This isn't a huge issue and it wouldn't keep me from buying it. I'm getting good sound quality, but as I said, it took some dialing in.
The supplied mic is not that great. Unless your car is very quiet you will have to speak significantly louder than normal. I drive a Jeep Grand Cherokee 4x4, so I assumed that this would be an issue. The easy way around this is purchasing an amplified mic (which another reviewer suggested. Thank you).
Overall, this receiver is hard to beat for what it offers at this price point. The minor flaws that accompany it are acceptable, if not expected, at this price. Same quality has improved in my Jeep and that is still the metric by which a stereo should be judged. I love the flexibility the Bluetooth offers.
Side note: I had to call customer service to ask about a cord that was in my dash and the service was absolutely outstanding. Crutchfield truly delivers some of the best CS out there. Thank you.

Pros:Great value, easy installation, Bluetooth capable

Cons:Inadequate mic, equalizer needs to be more forgiving and/or flexible

0 of 0 found this helpful

Great Value Unit

Steve C. from Sacramento, Ca on 6/19/2012

I've had this unit for a few days and it is really sweet. I put about 30 albums on an 8GB micro USB flash drive and have more music than drive time now. The unit pairs with my phone every time I start my car. I saw another reviewer complain that he has to re-pair his phone with the HU each time. That is not the case for me. When a call comes in, even if I'm listening to music from the flash drive, it's paused while I take the call by pressing a single button. Out of the box, the sound quality was pretty good, however playing with some of the many adjustments to bass, mid and treble took it to a whole new level. I was using about an 8 year old single CD Pioneer and this unit blows it away. Much better sound quality and much cooler look. I love not having a million burned CDs in my car anymore. This is a great value for the price.

Pros:Highly customizable for look and sound. No CDs means no coasters all over my car and no constantly having to swap discs or burn replacements for scratched discs.

Cons:A pause and/or mute button would be nice. I don't like having to just turn down the volume if I want to talk to someone.

Very Impressed

I am very pleased with this unit. It does take a little getting used to the buttons since many of them do more than one thing. But that could be said about just about any new electronic device. And I've seen a few people talk about the bluetooth taking a few seconds to connect. That was true with me as well, but it seriously doesn't bother me one bit. A couple seconds without sounds doesn't bother me, it only occurs with music when I first get in my truck. Phone calls connect right away and are clear and crisp. The volume through the Aux port is much quieter than the radio and bluetooth, but I'm trying to figure out if that has something to do with my Aux cord. I've already tried a few devices on it to make sure it wasn't my XM radio causing the problem.

Pros:The Value first and foremost. The display color choices is very nice to have, really a small touch but very nice. I think the setup and navigation was very easy and simple. I'm real happy with this unit.

Cons:Very small personal issue with me, the thing is a fingerprint magnet!! It shines, looks great, and cleans fine. But man does it attract fingerprints/dust.

1 of 1 found this helpful

Satisfied

The JVC KDX50BT had good reviews and feature list at a great price point so pulled the trigger. SO glad I did...the bluetooth streaming from my iPhone is superb and (with some tweaking) the handsfree calling is very clear. Found that I had to adjust the mic volume as high as possible and turn down the speaker volume during calls to avoid the person on the other end hearing themselves echo back through and freaking them out. The unit is basically awesome...makes my 10 YO truck feel as high-tech as the wife's new Mazda! Now...the install. Started to just take the parts to a pro so I could save time (self-employed people have no "free-time") Anyway for some reason, decided to just do it. Went through the Mastersheets and read all the tools required and lined things up. As the wife was gone I didn't have access to another set of wheels so running to the store to get whatever I forgot was going to be an issue...sure enough the mastersheet didn't mention any wiring tools required and since I thought the "wiring harness adaptor was a plug-n-go deal I didn't think about it. The wiring harness patch kit is got plugs for the vehicle harness and the radio has a harness with a plug for the radio, but there are bare wires between ;-) I didn't have any butt splices or soldering tools. Also the install kit left a little gap around the face plate (between the radio and the trim ring), so I cut apart the radios trim ring and made a filler piece...looks great now. GREAT unit!

Pros:Great price point, great feature set.

Cons:None really, for the money is just a great unit!

0 of 0 found this helpful

Great Budget System

As long as you understand what you are buying, this is a great little stereo with lots of outstanding features. It is an AM/FM receiver with the built in ability to connect portable music devices through USB or AUX in as well as Bluetooth. It also allows you to use your Bluetooth phone hands free through the receiver if you choose. It DOES NOT have a CD player, but that is clearly stated in the description. For $99.00 it is exactly what I wanted and works great. The install in my 2003 F150 was a breeze using the Crutchfield mounting bracket and wiring harness. Please note that if you are using a seperate factory wiring harness you will need plenty of wire nuts (at least 12) or you will need soldering skills and equipment.
Pairing my iPhone 4S with the unit was a breeze and streaming Pandora via Bluetooth is great. I had planned on leaving an iPhone cable connected to the front USB to connect it, but the Bluetooth streaming sounds great and makes the cable unnecessary. Making and receiving phone calls via Bluetooth also works great and helps me comply with the hands free laws in my 10 year old truck.
Bottom line; this unit probably doesn't sound as good or work as easily as a $500.00+ system, but it doesn't cost $500.00! For less than $115.00 including the mounting bracket, wiring harness, and OEM removal tool I couldn't be happier with this unit. I doubt that the people who don't read product descriptions read the reviews, but just in case; THERE IS NO CD PLAYER.

Pros:Price
Bluetooth
USB and AUX in

Cons:Controls are not very inuitive and some functions are buried pretty deeply in the menu system, but at this price I can deal with that.

0 of 0 found this helpful

Just what I wanted

I purchased this unit to replace an older Pioneer unit that had XM and I didn't want to subscribe any more. I believe the sound quality is much improved over the Pioneer unit, and I really appreciate how easy the Bluetooth option is to use. It's a solid purchase if you use an iPod and need to talk on the phone in your car.

Pros:Quality of sound
Looks great installed

Cons:Controls are different depending on audio setting

0 of 0 found this helpful

Excellent!

This unit is great,simple to use,sounds and performs fantastic(i am running through amp). The front and rear usb ports make this unit very versatile and included Bluetooth adapter makes it even better. Would highly recommend

Great deal!!!

Grat deal for the price. I bought it for my daughter's 2002 Pathfinder and It included all the cool features. It replaced the factory radio (Bose) and the sound improved more than expected. Thanks to Crutchfield the installation and setup took no more than one hour.

Pros:Display color adjustment
Bluetooth
Remote control

Cons:None

0 of 0 found this helpful

Good radio....but still has issues

I got this unit for a great price, so no matter what, as long as it worked I thought it was a good value. The menu's can be difficult to navigate, especially for newer users. But aside from that, sound quality was pretty good, and I like how the radio looked, and the basic functions.
This is where my problems begin. When connected to my ipod which is a 120GB classic, the radio would pause my ipod every few minutes at random. The latest software was already installed. A hard reset on both the reciever and the ipod did nothing to help.
Next, while using the bluetooth, I got constant complaints about the caller hearing themself echoe on their end of the line. If they hung up and called back, it was fine usually. I adjusted all the setting per the tech help at crutchfield and nothing ever helped this.
Aside from these issues, I thought it was a great unit, especially for the money!

Pros:good sound
good looks
lots of user personalization options
good rca output voltage
lots of features for price

Great Radio, Low Price

You can't find a stereo of this caliber for this low of a price anywhere! The features and functionality are amazing. I purchased this stereo to replace my old JVC unit that was going out, and I can honestly say this is one of the best purchases I've ever made.
The sound quality is pretty good (it would be better with an amp). My main complaint is that there is some noise when I'm playing Bluetooth audio from my cell phone, but this is actually a problem with the Android 2.3 software, not the radio. When we use Bluetooth from my friend's iPod, it sounds great, with no static whatsoever.
Everyone loves my new stereo. The really like the fact that they can be in charge of the music from anywhere in the car. Great stereo :)

Pros:Good sound quality for the price, Bluetooth? Come on, for this price, it's amazing! Easy to use once you get used to it.

Cons:The buttons are not always intuitive (like pushing Menu to pause the music), Bluetooth doesn't always work flawlessly (but that might be a problem with the phone). No CD player, but who needs those anymore?

1 of 1 found this helpful

Excellent DMR!

An excellent DMR for the $99 price tag. The install had a few challenges in my 2004 Hyundai Sonata, but nothing I was not able to overcome. Especially considering this was my first car audio project (am an IT tech/teacher normally, zero experience with car work other than the basics). Purchased the in-dash receiver kit and wire harness which definitely saved me time and frustration. Note that the kit did not properly fit into the dash as the two prongs on the bottom of the kit needed to be pushed in significantly to fit into the slot. The wiring harness instructions worked well with the JVC wiring instructions, allowing me to easily connect the two in preparation for the install itself. I ran the mic wire up from the bottom of the dash (by the ash tray) as other spots would pinch the cable. In addition to the kit and harness you will still need: - Phillips head screwdriver - Wire stripper (18-22 gauge depending) - Electrical tape - Either wire caps/connectors OR soldering iron - Hammer/prying tool The system itself setup quite easily, working the first time I tested it. The JVC instruction manual makes it easy to set everything up and I have had no issues over the past week of testing it. I left the Bluetooth plugged into the rear USB cable as it easily picks up any Bluetooth device in the car. Pairing is a breeze (whether on my LG Rumor Touch phone, iPad, iPod, Kindle Fire, etc.). 5 stars!

Pros:- Relatively easy install for first car audio project
- Bluetooth works great, easy pairing, excellent quality
- Setup (once installed) was simple using JVC's instructions
- Excellent feature set for the $99 price tag
- Front USB and AUX plugs make it easy to connect almost any device (assuming you do not simply use the Bluetooth)

Cons:- Mic must be properly placed, you must talk loud enough, and you must talk at it to ensure it picks you up. Picking up a separate, higher performing mic might be necessary for some.

0 of 0 found this helpful

JVC KD-X50BT Digital Media Receiver

Installation was seamless. Everything needed was included. I see a lot of people say they wish it had a removeable faceplate, cd player, etc. For this price it is a great deal. If you want those feature you should spend more money. This head unit is obviously budget friendly. You get what you pay for.

It's okay!!

Very good for the price, it's my third jvc automobile item. It's being sent back however. I purchased this to replace my old jvc arsenal because I know longer use CD's in the auto. This unit certainly fit the bill, but I failed to notice the face plate is not removable, which is a must. Also, the area around the face plate has an odd curve which didn't permit me to use a custom made filler that I had paid quite a bit for to be used with this unit. The ipod lag when searching through the menu is still noticeably annoying, but I guess I could live with it. A little dissappointed in the display/scrolling for song titles, etc. I've been purchasing JVC because of the variable color display settings, which are a deal breaker with me. As always, Crutchfield has acted on my dissatisfaction with this product (no fault of theirs certainly), and refunded. I am replacing this unit with the jvc x80bt, which is essentially the same, save for the faceplate. Got this from Crutchfield also, and wouldn't consider shopping anywhere else!!!!!

Cons:Bluetooth sometimes disconnects without reason very rarely tho,but this is a common issue with all bluetooth devices.The jvc android app is almost worthless at this point, just doesnt connect most of the time.Hopefully it will work better after an update.

0 of 0 found this helpful

Good, not amazing

Perhaps I'm not up-to-date on audio systems, but I didn't realize it did not have a CD player. I assumed it did, maybe I didn't read enough about it. It installs easily, and I love playing music from my phone wirelessly with bluetooth, but I think all the calling features from the audio system aren't that great. I wish I could turn off all talk functions and do music functions only. It's just not convienient to use a secondary device for calling or phone books. Also I could not get the system to play music from a flash drive or via cable and my phone. Perhaps its because I use a Mac and iTunes.

Pros:Good at wireless bluetooth Music, good price.

Cons:Appears to get confused with two bluetooth phones in the car, wont connect to either unless one was there first. No CD player. Doesnt appear to use flash drives well. I think things should be tested and work great, not be confusing or require me to change things on my home computer.

Great Little Unit For The Price!

Just got this radio last night and hooked it all up. Works great! The kit and wire harness that comes with it works well and was easy to setup for any beginner. The radio itself looks cool, feels well built and most of all made my stock speakers sound 10 times better and also louder! The quality is crisp and clean. Overall I have no complaints about this unit. Easy to use, and good for someone like me who didnt want to futz with CDs and wanted simple with some style. Highly recommend and also seeing as there isnt many other brands or units like this out there for this cheap.

Pros:Bluetooth, Pandora radio, change of colors, easy presets of radio stations (18 of them I believe).

Cons:Wish I could remove the faceplate or have it fold down so I can hide my ipod in the radio itself, but thats only minor things. Overall Amazing!

Under $100 powerhouse!

All around great piece if equipment. Installation was a breeze in my 2001 dodge 2500. Bluetooth connection from my iPhone allows both phone calls and music! The front USB charges the phone quickly, even charges the iPad!

Pros:Value! The fast charge USB port rocks! The ability to stream Pandora,, and other music apps adds to the coolness factor.

Cons:Sound quality could be better, but I'm still using factory speakers. I think if I were to replace them it would be a perfect match for me!

Great value - good features

Crutchfield shipped this in a reasonable amount of time. The unit is clean, neat, has good lines and a sharp design. The colors available for the controls and the LCD are "cool" and fun to play with. I'd recommend this to anyone who wants to listen to MP3 via USB all while avoiding costly tickets from being pulled over by the authorities for talking on your cell phone. The hands free feature is worth the price alone. Phone voice quality is clear, the controls are easy to use and it prevents unsafe use of your phone while receiving calls.

Pros:Integrated Bluetooth for both audio and phone calls. Good sound quality - low noise floor at high volume while listening to mp3. Good radio tuner. Phone microphone included.

Cons:Sometimes quirky connecting to more than one phone or BT audio device. The face is very shiny - sometimes unreadable in my car. FM radio preset programming is VERY clunky. Faceplate is not removable.

JVC KD-X50BT

Value for dollar is this receiver's best quality. Fit and finish are mediocre; the glossy plastic, for example, is a dust magnet, looks cheap, and the reflections make it difficult to read. One hugely annoying aspect of this receiver is that there isn't a dedicated area for the clock. It competes with several other "things" that can be displayed depending on the mode you're in. And depending on what you're doing, it sometimes is impossible to see the clock at all (for example: if the receiver can't find the bluetooth device). Overall though it is an excellent value. Sound quality is good and functionality that can be quite complex and temperamental in other products (I'm looking at you bluetooth) is extremely easy here.

Pros:

Cons:

0 of 0 found this helpful

Only ok

The unit was easy to install. All features work except I am not able to pair the unit with Iphone via bluetooth. The units see each other but never pair. Very frustrating. Updated firmware. No change. Others on the web seems to have this problem as well.

Pros:Easy install

Cons:poor bluetooth functionality

Crutchfield responseon 5/30/2012We forwarded this review to our Technical Support team for follow-up. Lifetime tech support comes with every Crutchfield purchase.

0 of 0 found this helpful

Pretty good

As one of the people stuck with an 'in between' car with no cassette player and no USB/Bluetooth, I needed a radio that would let me play my music without burning CDs like it's 2001, and this radio fills that need.
While the cheap plastic buttons aren't fancy by any means, at least they're not flashy and godawful ugly like most radios in this price-range. It fits in with the black interior of my car nicely and the detailed color settings help it fit in. The brightness can also be changed depending on your needs. The menu's a bit clunky but not impossible to manage.
The Bluetooth works but it takes up to 20 seconds for the radio to recognize my iPhone which is kind of a bummer but not a deal breaker. I wish there was a button that would let me switch between two Bluetooth devices but it looks like the only way to do that is to turn the BT off on one device so it'll switch back to the other. I've never had any BT connection dropouts or sound quality issues so it's all good as far as that's concerned.
I put the microphone under the dash and the call quality was fine on both ends. I feel much safer having both hands on the steering wheel while talking on the phone.
For this price you get a pretty detailed EQ setup, Bluetooth, USB port and an auxillary port, not to mention a rather streamlined look and any color combo you want.

Way better than OEM

In my opinion, it's a great deal. I have an 06 F-250. I upgraded my speakers to Pioneers, and thought that would be good enough. Once I upgraded to this head unit, they blow the doors off the OEM double din unit. The only other aftermarket unit i purchased before was also a JVC back in the late 90's. Also great quality by the way. If you don't need a lot of features, but want to play mp3's with good sound quality then this is a good choice. I haven't tried the bluetooth yet, my diesel motor is a bit loud for the mic. I also haven't tried the Pandora feature, but I'm sure it's great too. Thanks JVC and Crutchfield!

Pros:Good Price, Sound Quality, No moving parts i.e. cd player

Cons:For a unit with few features, I don't have any cons to list.

0 of 0 found this helpful

EXCELLENT!!!

Awesome unit, put it into my 04 Tiburon. It fits perfectly. For my first ever solo install, it was great. I highly recommend this unit if your looking for a nice simple and easy to use media player. I don't use cds anymore so this was great. The bluetooth works extremely well with my phone, it hooks right up to my ipod, and it works well with my usb flash drive. I highly recommend it!! It took me a while to get it installed, but that was only due to MY lack of knowledge!!

Pros:Does what it says, works with my phone via bluetooth..even has your contacts right on the display, you can choose who you want to call right from there, completely hands free from phone, works great with my ipod and thumb drive. And it has a great internal amp. No more crackling, which is what I would get from my factory stereo! Awesome unit!

Cons:none, did everything it said it would and everything I need it to do!!

0 of 0 found this helpful

Bang for your buck

JohnJohn from Leesburg, VA on 5/24/2012

Lots of very cool features for the money. It did take some time to figure out how to quickly connect my Droid X to the head unit each time I enter the car even after I had paired them. The JVC Android app is ok but I mostly use my Droid Mixing music app that also has an EQ to send music to the JVC unit. The screen scratches very easy even with a paper towel so look out. I love the head unit for the money and it has lots of clean volume with no amp add in.

Pros:Lots of features and ability to control it with my phone and push MP3 's to the head unit without needing a flash drive.

Cons:Time to reconnect my Droid every time I get in the car and the screen scratches way to easy.

0 of 0 found this helpful

Can't believe I did not do this sooner

Great sounding unit with great features. Easy installation using the wire harness and install kit from Crutchfield. Great support - thanks to them as well, had one question on wiring harness, answered immediately. Installed in Dodge Dakota Quad Cab with Infinity Speaker System, new unit sounds better than factory original. If you are waiting to change out your old radio - don't!! Get this unit.!!

Pros:Everything

Cons:none

0 of 0 found this helpful

Don't be fooled by the good looks.

Andrew K. from Tigard, OR on 5/23/2012

I would have gave my final rating on this deck much higher, but it gets a lot of points taken off because the MAIN reason I bought this deck was for the wireless bluetooth streaming, and its absolutely HORRIBLE at it. Sound over the bluetooth would have random hiss/static, and if my phone was further than 2 feet away it would start to cut in and out randomly. The bluetooth reciever isn't built in like most decks, its a little dongle that you have to attach to either the front or rear USB port, and is obviously a cheap piece of garbage.
I ended up returning this deck for a Sony MEX-4000 that works perfectly with bluetooth and sound quality is much better.
Also, the sound this produces isn't that great compared to similar priced decks, and its HORRIBLE on bluetooth.
Obviously all the people reviewing this deck don't use bluetooth media streaming as their primary listening device, because otherwise I can't comprehend why this deck has such a high average score.

Pros:Looks Cool.
Like the no-CD because I haven't used a single CD in years.

Cons:HORRIBLE Bluetooth music streaming quality; The bluetooth dongle is worthless.
Sound quality isn't as good as comparable priced non BT decks of other brands (Sony/Kenwood/ect)

2 of 6 found this helpful

Fantastic display; horrific sound quality.

KAB from Maine on 5/23/2012

As usual with all other commenters, the install was quick and painless in my 94 Pontiac Firebird. I set everything up on the unit quickly and loved the display and ease of using a USB drive. However, the sound quality was horrendous. It just doesn't have the power to drive my factory speakers. Very tinny, almost no bass, and obviously distorted at even midrange volumes, I quickly uninstalled it and put my 18 year old OEM stereo back in. If listen to anything other than talk radio, this isn't the unit for you.

Pros:Ease of controls, beautiful display colors.

Cons:You get better bass and sound out of a Victrola than from this unit.

0 of 3 found this helpful

Great media player

Replaced stock Clarion cassette player with JVC KD-X50BT in my 98 Subaru Forester. I really like the ability to just leave a 16GB micro thumb drive (Kingston micro datatraveler) in the front USB port at all times. And, I can stream via my phone (BT) or take a call on my phone without having to fish it out of my pocket. I updated the firmware after a thumb drive had an issue. To be fair, I think the issue was in the drive, not the JVC. Updating the firmware was very easy too.
The head unit was pretty easy to install, but I had to partially remove a fair amount of the interior. My vehicle came from the factory with a single DIN dash pocket, so the dash pocket included by default in my order wasn't required.
The unit provides a method to change between day and night colors and brightness. However, that function is controlled by the illumination signal of the wiring harness, and not by the actual time of day. I normally drive with my lights on. But now, I have to switch my lights off during the day just so I can read the display. Having the option to control the day/night switch-over via time vs illumination signal would be helpful.
I have also seen several MP3 files (all between 128 and 320k) come up as NOT SUPPORTED. I have not figured out why. But once the head unit skips one of these files, it tends to skip three or four in a row. This is all from the thumb drive, not my iPod touch.
BT streaming from my iPhone has reduced fidelity.

JVC KD-X50BT

Installed this unit purely for the Bluetooth capability, both audio and phone. The Pandora integration is nice too, but have only used it once as of yet. The Bluetooth connection is a bit finicky, often requiring to disconnect and reconnect when I first start up, but once it's connected it works great. The tuner seems to work well too, but I haven't had much use with it. The microphone for the phone isn't as good as the built-in type on previous car (2011 Mazda3) but it works. May just be due to the higher-than-normal road noise in this car (94 Miata)

KDX50BT

This is a nice deck for the money. The two usb ports are great. I keep the Bluetooth adapter in the front and plug a flash drive into the port that is corded to the back. I ran the back usb port into my glove box. Please note, that this deck does not have a built-in CD player. This is not a problem for many, but those who still used discs, will want to look at something else. I have found that the sound quality of music is not as good when playing via bluetooth from my phone versus playing directly from a flash drive. Not a big deal for me, but this could be a deal breaker for some who only want to stream from their phone. Bluetooth pairing was no problem. I like that you can have 2 phone paired to the deck at the same time.

Only one small negative here

Definitely a 5 star product, except for one small thing. The bluetooth connectivity is a little "wonky" sometimes on my Galaxy Nexus. Sometimes I'll get in the car and it will automitically connect up as it should, but with no sound, or with the sound coming from the phone instead of the stereo. Turning the bluetooth on the phone off and on again usually solves this problem, so I am not sure if it is the head unit, or my phone that is the source of the problem. The JVC smart remote app does not show the media tags when playing google music, but again, that may just be my phone. Once I get them to talk to each other properly, I love streaming Pandora from my phone. As always, Crutchfield supplied flawless instructions, and hookup accessories that made installation a snap.

Too Easy

I've been into high end audio for 20 years, and have never been more impressed with a head unit in this price range. As a matter of fact, I liked this head unit do much I bought one for both of my vehicles. The Bluetooth features make it all worth it to me as I travel quiet a bit. My GPS Drive app works flawlessly through the Bluetooth as does my music player. It's nice just to get in the vehicle and play music off of my phone while it's still in my pocket. Incoming and outgoing calls are also performed with ease. I highly recommend this head unit for an entry level Bluetooth receiver.

Pros:Flawless iPhone integration. Excellent radio reception. Color selection is nice so that the unit can be matched to the factory dash lighting.

Cons:No true station preset buttons, you must navigate through them all to get where your going. Through Bluetooth the unit reads an iPhone as one huge folder so you can't search individual artists without doing it from the phone, unless connected to USB. Does not have a removable faceplate (I have a convertible) and this could possibly be a problem. Not a screamer of a head unit, if you like it really loud you will need to amplify your highs and mids as I have done.

0 of 0 found this helpful

I was a bit hesitant, but now I'm very happy with this unit...

This head unit is awesome for the price... actually for twice the price it would be awesome. I put the unit in my old, lifted, beat-up 1996 Grand Cherokee Limited along with a couple of pairs of Kicker DS65 speakers to replace the factory units. The sound improvement is incredible! The head unit works just as described with my HTC Incredible (running CM7.1). Bluetooth connection for phone calls, phone book access, and streaming Pandora work great. You can also stream your stored music on the Android music player to this unit as well, with control over forward, backward, and pause (choosing folders or playlists must be done on the phone itself, as well as initially starting the music app itself). The USB port will charge my phone while streaming via bluetooth (I couldn't get it to connect to my phone in USB mode, but I didn't try that hard). The color options are nearly infinite. So what's wrong with it? First, the use of this stereo is NOT intuitive at all. Multiple buttons have multiple functions, most of which are not labeled. So you have to read the manual and use it to remember them. Not THAT big of a deal, but nobody can just get in and use it without a bit of "training". Example: Hold the BACK button to initiate pandora (unlabeled). My other nitpick? The material it's made out of is REALLY shiny and shows fingerprints like mad. These flaws are from a deal breakers on this amazing head unit.

Pros:Bluetooth works well for audio and phone, Bluetooth phone calls in an older vehicle (where bluetooth wasn't even an option) is nice, Phone call and Message notification while phone is connected is nice, Multiple connection options for digital media, Highly customizable color scheme, Highly customizable sound with Pro EQ, Included remote is nice for most basic functions.

Cons:Takes a bit to learn how to use it since some functions are not labeled. Shiny, smooth plastic material on the faceplate shows fingerprints.

0 of 0 found this helpful

Bang for the Buck

Was able to purchase the tremendous unti for a great price and was very impressed with the turnarond time concerning shippng. I order it on a Thursday afternoot, changed the delivery address and still received it a day earlier than promised. THe most tedious part was wiring the harness and trying to navigate the bluetooth cord behind the dash. Once installed, I was impressed by the functionality of the unit fromease of use to the ability to teak levels and even separate bass settings. The only negative is that the bluetooth takes 15-30 seconds to connect. I installed this in a 2006 Lincoln LS replacing the head unit (CD changer and no aux in) and after replacing the door 6x8 's this past weekend..the clarity is definitely upgraded and I was able to hook the factor rear deck subs via the sub preouts.Nice boom without subs. Next to add a 4 channel amp to drive the speakers and who knows....

Pros:Price, features, ease of use

Cons:Bluetooth takes a wile to connect and also has a long cord you have to wrangle behind the dash.

0 of 0 found this helpful

Awesome Receiver!

Man I really love this receiver! It's awesome there are no moving parts. I haven't really listened to CD's in years anyway, so this is was easy adjustment. The Bluetooth feature works great with my Android streaming Pandora. I also love that I can keep my iPod plugged in and stored in my glovebox so my music library is always available and my iPod stays charged. Can't beat this for the money!!!!

Pros:Bluetooth, 2 USB options, No moving parts

Cons:None, unless you want to play CD's

0 of 0 found this helpful

Good product

This car stereo is great value. Everything works great and is easy to use. The blue tooth connects easily, and the sound it puts out is crystal clear. It also looks really good with the variable light display. It was well worth the price.

Pros:functionality, price, look, sound quality.

Cons:none that I can think of.

0 of 0 found this helpful

Best Stereo for the Money

I recently cancelled XM radio and wanted to switch to streaming internet radio (I use Pandora, Shoutcast, Google Play, etc.) using my Droid2. Initially I didn't want anything special, I just wanted a unit with an AUX port, but when I came across this JVC unit that had two USB ports and both streaming Bluetooth and Bluetooth calling along with the AUX port, I was excited. Plus it is a Digital Media Receiver, so I didn't have to pay for a cd drive that I wouldn't really use.
The price seemed to be better than any other unit out there with the same features.
Ordering and installation was super easy, as it always is with Crutchfield stuff.
I think I spent more time figuring out where and how to run the bluetooth wires behind the dash, than I did actually hooking the unit up.
The Bluetooth integration with Pandora is great. I can leave Bluetooth on, on my phone, so when I get into my car and start it up, the stereo automatically pairs up with my phone. I push one button on the stereo and it starts streaming my custom Pandora channel from my phone. I don't even have to get the phone out of my pocket. Awesome.
The custom colors are a very nice feature. It can match the interior and the rest of your lights, or you can set it up Red & White like me during Cardinals baseball season...and then Blue & Yellow during Blues hockey season.
I'm very happy with this purchase.

Cons:The wiring adapter had two green w/black stripe wires. It wasn't really an issue because one was marked "negative" so the other was obviously positive, but it had me thinking for a minute which was which since there was supposed to be one green and one green w/black. Unless I missed something there. In the end it was all wired up correctly, so no biggie.

0 of 0 found this helpful

Impressive!

Randy from Minnesota on 5/8/2012

In one word this unit is impressive. This unit has features I haven't seen before on any unit, not to mention one under $100! It was quite the leap for me - I went from a six-disc CD changer to this. I was hesitant about giving up the ability to play CD's but after using the Bluetooth feature on this unit I am kicking myself for not switching sooner! CD's are a thing of the past, get on the MP3/Bluetooth bandwagon and never look back!
I have a Droid Razr Maxx and it connects perfectly. It took a while at first for the phone to connect and start playing but I set up a smart action that launches Pandora every time the phone connects to the JVC unit... not it's maybe 10 seconds before my music starts playing through the car speakers!
That's just the Bluetooth/Phone connection and sound - plus it's got unlimited color combos and it dims or switches colors when your turn your lights on. I drive a '95 and this feature still works!

Pros:Connectivity, Sound, Colors, Extra Features

Cons:A bit of a learning curve for setting up the deck and getting phones to do what you want - but once it's going, it's all automatic!

0 of 0 found this helpful

Just right!

I wanted to replace the factory head unit in my 1998 Jeep Cherokee with a media player. I was quoted $450 at a local car stereo store for a competitors media place, including $100 for installation. Seemed a little pricey to me, so I held off. A few months later I did an online search and came across this unit. It had all of the features I was looking for, specifically bluetooth connect-ability. Couldn't believe the price, so I thought it must be lacking some features. I was wrong. Did everything I wanted. Very impressed with how the unit automatically connects via bluetooth whenever I get into the vehicle (takes about 30 to 45 seconds before it connects). Sound quality of music is outstanding, and the sound quality of calls through the car speakers is unbelievable. The included microphone is outstanding as well; no one has been able to determine that I am in my car. The most impressive thing of all, for me, is that I installed it myself. This is huge. I hate doing anything related to working on/in a vehicle since the area is so confined. With the install instructions from Crutchfield, coupled with the free technical support (walked me through an issue that turned out to be a loose grounded connection), it was a piece of cake. Let's see - $450 from a local retailer vs. $100 for the unit and self-installation. A no-brainer. I've been using now for about one month. Outstanding product. There is one issue that needs mentioning. The clock re-sets sometimes.

Pros:Looks good
Sounds great
Outstanding value

Cons:The clock re-sets itself from time to time.

0 of 0 found this helpful

Best digital media receiver for the budget-minded!

Very versatile, feature-full media receiver. Has all the connections you may ever need (USB in front which charges up your device way faster, USB in the back for the included Bluetooth adapter & AUX) for your digital media in your iPod/iPhone, Android, Blackberry or other USB devices. Great out-of-the-box sound(an w/o the use of an amp). I can listen to Pandora form my HTC G2, make/receive calls and get back to Pandora (or the FM radio) flawlessly, w/o practicaly pressing any buttons. The only thing I found to be a bit of an inconvenience was the fact that you can't take off the faceplate. That shoud be a must on any aftermarket car radio in this day and age. Still, very happy with my purchase! Will definitely return here for all my future car audio needs.

Pros:Lots of usefull features for the price! I'd list them but, then I'd just repeat what the specs page says.

Winner

Miiiiike from Kaneohe, Hi on 5/5/2012

I had a $700 double din touch screen before this hu (that broke), and honestly... If I had the choice between the 2 before I owned them, knowing how each of them worked, I would have chosen the kdx50bt... Hands down. The functionality of this head unit is what really sells it. And yes... The sound quality has a HUGE improvement from my past $600-more-expensive touch screen head unit!

Pros:

Cons:

0 of 0 found this helpful

The best value for money on the planet!!

I was a little sceptical at first about this product because it seemed to good to be true. I cant believe how good it works, how many features it has and the sound quality. Bluetooth wonks awesome with my Casio gZone Commando Android phone. When I enter the vehicle, the phone automatically detects the HU bluetooth and launches a companion App from JVC that gives readout of song info and swipe gesture control of HU. This is all in addition to the bluetooth calling features.

Pros:JVC companion App for Android
Good sound quality
stable bluetooth
...and too many more to list.

Incredible to have great Bluetooth at this price

Love this thing...bluetooth from my phone for under $100 is so worth it. Let's you change the colors to match exactly what you have in your car too. Can't go wrong spending this little money for this level of functionality.

Pros:

Cons:

0 of 0 found this helpful

Disappointing

Disappointing. I was expecting convenience and smooth operation with this unit, but far from it. Takes 20-30 seconds for the unit to connect to my phone every single time I put my IGN to ON. And when it finally does connect, it doesn't resume playback, it just says "PAUSED". And then when I finally start the car, the process starts all over again. This also happens with a USB flash drive. There's also a 1 second lag when you skip a track.

Pros:- BT audio
- BT auto-connects
- USB

Cons:- Biggest con: Doesn't play and/or resume where the music left off
(After it's connected, it just says "PAUSED" on the unit)
- Disconnects when the car starts (I usually turn the IGN to ON and do my thing before I start the car)
- Takes forever to connect upon startup
- Takes a few seconds for the unit to display the correct text when skipping tracks

4 of 8 found this helpful

What an awesome bargain!

Rene Ramos from Utah on 5/3/2012

I am a bit of an audiophile, on a budget, and this head unit exceeded all of my expectations! Sound quality is really amazing, especially with the parametric eq, you can even adjust the "Q", awesome"! Sound quality is amazing, and it syncs easily with my Work iPhone, and Motorola Razr at the same time! AMAZING Value!

Pros:Great sound, built in bluetooth, pairs with two phones, parametric EQ, remote(one for the phone, and one conventional) and all for only $99! WOW...

Cons:Connecting is sometimes a little slower using bluetooth then I would like! Lacks a little power....

0 of 0 found this helpful

JVC KD-X50BT

Great sound, streaming Pandora outstanding. You do not need a CD player since you can hook up your ipod. It also comes with a pick up mike so when your phone is attached by Bluetooth you can talk with your hands on the steering wheel!

Pros:Has all the latest features for a very affordable price. Very easy installation, took about 1 hour to complete.

Cons:None

0 of 0 found this helpful

I am amazed!

without writing a book here, what made my purchase such a success were two main things. First I had no use for a CD player (I use Pandora) so I was glad I found a receiver that integrates Pandora and Bluetooth into a simple to use system. I use it as a handsfree addition to my iPhone, and to navigate Pandora. The second thing is the ease of installation, and that is absolutely because of Crutchfield! Their directions were directed to my truck and only my truck. I couldn't believe it. The instructions for removal or the dash trim and the door trim were illustrated and idiot-proof. Folks, if fear is keeping you from doing the installation yourself, JUST DO IT! This is my first attempt, and it is perfect. If I can do it, anyone can do it.

Pros:Everything related to the device and Crutchfield's installation guide

Cons:That I didn't "grow a set" and do it sooner.

0 of 0 found this helpful

Another satisfied customer

Sure, I've only had it for a day, but I can honestly say that I'm blown away thus far. The feature set is astounding for the price. I opened the box and within 2 hours (even being distracted by kids and TV while assembling the wires) I was up and running and fiddling with features. Crutchfield's included instructions and suggested accessories (kit, antenna adapter, and wire harness) that I included with my purchase made installation a breeze. So far, I've used Pandora, Google reader (podcasts), Google music and PowerAmp with my Android phone. I haven't tried to control Pandora with the phone as of yet, but I have not doubts that it will work fine. Being in a smaller car, I was very surprised by the sound quality that I got with the bluetooth phone and mic. The person on the other end had no problem hearing me with the mic on the steering column just behind the steering wheel.

Pros:Bluetooth sound and voice.
Feature rich.

Cons:No CD player for the less technically apt.

3 of 3 found this helpful

Fantastic

This set will blow any high end system away. For $100, you cant go wrong with this JVS unit. I was amazed by the sound quality even with my lousy factory speakers. In this day and age of digital music, CD players are obsolete and I didnt need them.. Dont remember the last time I used an audio cd. The bluetooth connectivity is cool. I was bit skeptical about the bluetooth quality but i should say its almost the same as wired connections.. I stream music from my samsung galaxy.. All radio apps work with this set not just pandora. buy this and you won't go wrong.

Great HU!

This is a great HU for the price. It has everything I needed without the fancy bells and whistles. I can play my iphone, use apps (Pandora & any app like it), use my phone through my car, and have an extra aux input. Definitely a great product for the price.

Love it!!

Shipped super fast! Great product, completely satisfied. Easy to work with and to install. I don't know where I would have gotten a better deal! The bluetooth has worked flawlessly for me. It works great playing my music and with phone calls. I never used the CD player in my old stereo, so this one really caught my eye.

You'll never miss your CDs

Replaced the stock unit in my 94 Miata. A huge difference in sound quality, especially with my recently upgraded speakers. Terrific sound for the price! Hookup was relatively easy, and Crutchfield customer service, as usual, can't be beat. This unit sounds loads better than the "premium" Bose system in my 2010 Miata.

Pros:Vastly improved sound quality; easy to install, Bluetooth audio & phone work great, you can still take calls even if not on the BT setting.

Cons:BT microphone isn't the greatest; switching between FM presets is kind of annoying; the mounting bracket that Crutchfield provided could have been of higher quality, and was not included for free at the sale price.

2 of 2 found this helpful

Works with Windows Phone

This system was easy to install in my JEEP Cherokee. The Bluetooth synced to my HTC Radar with Windows Phone 7.5 (Mango) with no problems. Hands free calling and text messaging works great with the phone also. Since there is no official Pandora app for Windows Phone, the built-in Pandora features don't work but the MetroRadio third-party Pandora app streams the music fine just using normal Bluetooth audio setting. No song information or other items show on the radio of course but the sound is great.

Pros:Great value
Great Sound Quality

Cons:No CD, but I haven't used CD's in my car in a couple of years.

2 of 2 found this helpful

JVC KD-X50BT

This player is definetly worth every penny. I chose this player to replace my stock 02 4runner deck and couldn't be happier. I find this unit to be very user friendly with some cool features. I like having the ability to match the display and button lights perfictly with the stock dash lighting. I can listen to my music on my iPhone or use my Pandora app witch is the main reasion for replacing my stock head unit. Bottom line if you want to upgrade your stock head unit in my opinion this is a great deal for the money.

Pros:Lots of cool features for little money and very user friendly.

Cons:

0 of 0 found this helpful

Works great! Easy install!

Fantastic product and very easy installation. I purchased it with the recommended harness and antenna adapter and can't imagine doing it otherwise. Used in in an old 2000 Suburban and the quality of this radio is far superior to the one it replaced. This thing works better than the radio in my relatively new Toyota Sienna. I purchased this primarily for the bluetooth handsfree and ability to play iPhone through bluetooth and USB connection. Bluetooth has worked great so far and it is nice that multiple phones can be paired with it and used simultaneously without the hassle of manual switching (like my Sienna). I should add that I've never installed a stereo in a car myself BUT make sure you can remove your dash components if necessary. I checked this prior to ordering and the Suburban is about as simple as it can be. Everything pops apart without tools. Only thing I needed was a decent stripper and crimp connectors.

Pros:Great sound. Easy to use. Syncing phone is simple and straightforward. Hands free mode works great. Compatible with iPhone 4 and 4S. Instructions are easy to read and understand. Installation very straightforward and simple.

Cons:Included harness in the JVC could take a tip from Crutchfield's harness maker and pre-strip the wires for you. Perhaps it isn't necessary for some but I would have saved even more time on install if wires were pre-stripped. Frankly, I don't know why they don't get together and agree to put connectors on the harnesses.

0 of 0 found this helpful

Delivers the goods

I ordered this unit as a birthday present for my daughter. As usual Crutchfield was spot with the recommend accessories. The instructions for the removal of the old unit and installation of the new made it a piece of cake to install. Needless to say my daughter loves the unit. I installed the unit in a 2003 Santa Fe with the Monsoon sound system. The wiring could be a tad intimidating but I was able to correctly connect everything on the first try and the unit worked as advertised.

Great Product

Shipped fast. Very good product. My only problem (due to my lack of research) was it DOES NOT PLAY CD'S. For me it is not a problem, after all I bought it because of the bluetooth and the iphone capabilities. All of my music is stored on my iphone, rarely do I listen to CD's anyway.
Aside from my lack of research. LOL, this is a GREAT PRODUCT. Will recommend to anyone.
A+++

Pros:

Cons:

1 of 2 found this helpful

great stereo

just awesome. I installed this stereo in my lancer, the sound is great. It is loaded with options. The sound is lot better than factory radio. The bluetooth synced with out any problem. The mic works great, but you have to keep it close to your mouth. I forgot to buy the wiring harness and the stereo connection wire colors did not match the wire colors of my car. I struggled to figure out which wires to connect, so I called customer support they put me on hold for 40 minutes. Finally got my answers from a representative. He sent me wire configuration for my car and the stereo. These should be included in the installation package. I am very satisfied with my purchase.

Pros:handsfree calling, sound quality, usb, aux, bluetooth

Cons:none so far

0 of 1 found this helpful

Great radio for the following reasons

-Easy to install, NEVER knew JVC made such great product and that works so easy from the first time installed. -Charges the USB plugged into it, whether from the back cable provided or from the front usb slot, cannot ask for more. -Radio and speaker noise is gone and sound is crisper with OEM speakers, even. -Great light changing control to match OEM lights and the light patterns are dead on, especially for a 98 Ford. -Finds the station names, best frequency and setup is quite easy, after a couple of times running through it. -NO CD, eh, who buys those these days?????? -Digital music and BT connectivity for phone and music streaming, can't beat that. -Two phones can be linked and answered by choosing it depending on calls, that is outstanding. -Well, no need for a BT on my ear, mic and car speakers do that now, excellent!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Pros:-It has all you need for radio/BT/USB device integration. It has a clear and precise menu operation if you learn it by just following the book for the first/two runs through it to set up the radio.
-The value to features ratio and quality is outstanding for what it does.

Cons:I can't think of any at all, ESPECIALLY not with the value and its features.

0 of 0 found this helpful

Great Radio with Simple Controls and Advanced Features

I purchased this radio to replace a Kenwood unit that was stolen. The unit was a breeze to install as I already had a gaping whole in my dash. The directions were very clear for each wires use and purpose in the harness. The unit does not have as many options to tweak the audio as the Kenwood Exelon did, as a result music doesn't sound quite as good. It has basic controls that are good enough to balance a poor recording. I have used the bluetooth audio and voice features. They are very simple and easy to use. I have not found a way to make it start playback via bluetooth and my iPhone. I have only had the link sever midstream once while playing music from the phone. Voice call quality I quite good. Road noise does not get canceled very well by the included microphone. The background sound was described to me as rushing water. Despite that no one has complained of call clarity and intelligibility. I also use the USB memory stick option. I have not had issues with file compatibility yet. I do wish that fast forward would accelerate instead of the fixed rate. It can take a very long time to get through the first hour of a file. The custom color LED panel is nice. I choose a good deep red so that it would not impair my night vision. My color choice makes it a little difficult to read the display during direct sunlight. This radio is a nothing fancy but feature laden gem. It has stable software with an intuitive interface. I do wish it had a security pin to deter theft.

Pros:Simple Interface
Integrated Bluetooth Audio and Voice
Rear USB tail so I can load a memory stick and hide it out of the way.
Front Aux input for guests.

Cons:No security lockout and a fixed face panel. I would like to see a security pin as removable facepanels don't usually help.
Facepanel polarization makes the screen unreadable while wearing sunglasses. Not much they could do about this though. Its the nature of LCD. Just be aware that you have to take your sunglasses off to read the display.

0 of 0 found this helpful

Not missing my CD Player

This thing is pretty cool. Surprised at the color effects. *Almost* everything works well, and I can't tell if its my phone or the unit. It easily connects to my phone's phone and multimedia audio, but if the multimedia audio isn't constant (like you don't have music playing all the time), it's dropped. The phone audio stays on, though. This usually results in me having to turn the bluetooth on/off to get it working again. This becomes somewhat of a problem if you want to listen to Navigation through bluetooth, because you only get audio every so often for turn notification.
For now, I am using the auxiliary source and it sounds great. The included microphone works very well to pick up my voice, probably better than the phone's. The install took me 2 hours, that's with the suggested kit/hardware for a 07 Focus. I have installed a couple radios *years* ago, so I had an idea of how it went. I can say that taking 2 hours is probably on the high end of what to expect, as I went through the directions ~three times before doing anything.
Perhaps once I get the bluetooth annoyance figured out, i will come back and give it the extra star (depending on which device the problem is causing it). Overall... I recommend.

Pros:Looks/sounds great, customizable, wireless or wired, easy install. Great radio for the money.

Cons:Bluetooth disconnects if audio isn't constant coming through. Source of problem TBD... could just end up being my phone.

Wow!

Package arrived last night, had it in a few hours later. I have a beater truck (old '92 GMC Sierra) and 'da Crutch sent me exactly everything I needed...in the end the installation was fairly easy, and I am not that great at this stuff. The overall effect and look are fantastic. I haven't had that much time to do much yet, but will update as I can.

Pros:great installation literature and price

Cons:none yet, hopefully none later

0 of 0 found this helpful

Great receiver!

The unit takes 2 32 GB USB's. That's the equivalent of 400 CD's each. I have a third, so need only change once to have 1200 CD's available. The bluetooth is very clear and easy to use. The list function is very good, but the manual does not mention the use of the back button to go from track list to folder list. Installation with Crutchfield kit and harness took 1 hour. I tried and returned the Dual DMR (no list). And I replaced the JVC KD-S100 (4 GB limit), which worked very well. This is a brilliant receiver. (It does a better job of listing tracks than my old one, which is handy for listening to podcasts.) (Similar ones have 255 folder limits, and 32 GB fits 400. This I believe can handle 20000 tracks. I spent considerable time researching this one. It is superior even to units costing hundreds more.) DenMac

Pros:Perfect car receiver, for music, podcasts... Cost very good.

Cons:Manual leaves out how to operate list function. Back button very important.

1 of 1 found this helpful

Awesome!

This is my first JVC receiver. I have owned a few Sony's and one Pioneer. I must say this has to be my favorite to date. With integrated iPhone controls and Pandora where can you go wrong? This does not have a cd player which is fine because I hate using cd's. Only issue I have is the overwhelming list of options to go through. This may not be a bad thing though. Just saying...
I believe I read somewhere in past review that the display was quite bright. I did notice the head unit being bright but once I turned my parking lights on it dimmed to a reasonable level. I did hook up the wire lead in harness for the illumination so this may have why.

Pros:Awesome sound! Integrated iphone controls and Pandora Radio

Cons:A lot of options to work through to customize. Not necessarily a bad thing.

0 of 0 found this helpful

Incredible!!

I bought this to replace a POS Clarion FZ709. I could not be happier. The Pandora controls are what really make it awesome. Bluetooth works great via phone I have the mic in my visor. You could not possibly be disappointed with this.

Just what I needed

This unit is just what I needed to update my 11 year old jeep that did not have Bluetooth. Most everything I listen to in the car is off my phone - audible, pandora, MP3s and calls. This unit gave me all the functionality I wanted at a great price. BT pairing is fast and consistent. Sound quality is good. Install was fast and easy (my first time ever doing it). The stereo's pandora controls are pretty cool and work quite well. I am thrilled with my purchase.

Pros:cheap, easy to install, works well, great value.

Cons:Haven't found any yet.

0 of 0 found this helpful

Excellent Product

This is an excellent device. Easy to install. A good value for money. Sound quality was excellent. I had a little trouble configuring the bluetooth and the day/night colors. The functionality available is amazing. Although, don't have high expectations about the Android JVC app.

Wonderful!!

I looked at quite anumber of digital receivers prior to buying this one. I also looked at many other sites for prices. I have to say that I am 100% pleased with the JVC unit, as well as the great price and service I received through Crutchfield. Absolutely the best unit with the most features for the money! Awesome!

Great..

This unit is great. I installed it by myself. Everything worked fine at the first attempt.

Pros:Comes with detailed instructions, which is VERY helpful.

Cons:Does not come with screws. I have to recycle old screws from the removed unit. The installation kit came with it did not fit my car, but fortunately my car did not require any additional accessories, frames, etc. Location of power button could be annoying, if the DIN space it tight. Remote does not have a power button.

Awesom

Got this due to the new laws regarding use of phones , the great thing is , it supports two phone at the same time , the mic is clear , and the sound quality is great . Only thing that could bother a person is the tow usb ports , one is in the fron , one is in the back with a long cable to go to glove box. The bluetooth , must be plugged into one "it is not built in" so if you use an ipod in the glove box the bluetooth will have to plug in the front and it has a little annoying blinking light....its low and its not blue thank you....but thats really it....not to bad...for 100 bucks you cant go wrong

Pros:dual phones , light colors , usb in the rear for concealed ipod in glove box or under dash

Cons:blue tooth is a usb device " not built in" , it must take up a usb port in front , or on your dongle.

0 of 0 found this helpful

Excellent for the money

Excellent product, very easy installation. I had one issue in which I need clarification of the instructions. (re: power antenna) The customer service is incredible. I bought the dash kit and matching harness for my vehicle which made life very simple.

Pros:Sound is awesome, streaming works great. Hands free works very well. Customer service very knowledgeable.

Cons:

0 of 0 found this helpful

So good, I bought two!

I bought one for my van and then bought one for my daughter's Sedona. Installation was straight forward on the Ford econoline and a little more difficult in the Sedona. My daughter was not that interested in replacing her KIA radio but the Bluetooth safety factor changed her mind. The unit looks great in both cars. Both units worked right out of the box. Make sure you buy those quick connector kit for faster wiring. Just match colors and you are ready to go.

Pros:low price, bluetooth and great interface with iPhone 4 and 4s.

Cons:None, lacks CD player but with an iPhone who uses those things anymore.

0 of 0 found this helpful

Great!

Installed on a 2003 Subaru Forester. Overall removal and install of new unit took 4 hours. My Forester did not have auto climate control so disconnecting the temp and airflow control cables was an added complication. Install instructions were great. Make sure you get the wiring adapter if you vehicle needs it. Makes life much easier. Stereo is terrific. A lot of bang for the buck. Very pleased.

Great - on second attempt.

The first head unit refused to work with Bluetooth. Crutchfield sent a replacement within days. The second unit works as advertised. The interface is a bit complicated, for example to select radio pre-set stations you have to push a button, turn a knob and push that knob to confirm. Complicated ...
The display is on the cheap side, just one line of text, dot-matrix style. Everything else works fine, the Bluetooth call quality is great, Bluetooth streaming and iPod music is very convenient, albeit a doubling of features, considering my wife uses her iPhone as a music player.

2001 Honda CRV Install, Love It!!!!!!!

I could not believe the sound quality compaired to my stock honda radio using the same stock speakers on my 2001 CRV. Took me an Hour to install. Crutchfield sends you the installation instructions on your specific car make and model. The harness was easy to solder together with the supplied instructions. The hands free works great with my android phone. I did the update via usb port, super easy. Pandora ,Iheart rado work great. I have an Iphone connected via usb and my android via blue tooth. I had an incomming call the iphone went on pause and switched to the android to recieve my call. Man this thing is smart!!!!! This radio has so many features every day I use it I find somethning new. The interface is a bit confusing at first but once you learn how it flows it is easy. I am now thinking about upgrading the rado in my honda accord. I would not buy it from anyone else. Once I

Pros:features,features features

Cons:I would like to see this same radio with an hd tuner built in. interface takes a bit to figure out.

0 of 0 found this helpful

Great features, low price, easy install

All in all it took about 30 minutes to install in my 2004 Toyota Camry with the most basic set of tools (a screwdriver with tape over the end and a 10mm socket wrench). It came with everything I need, the dash kit was easy to put together, and the wiring harness only took a few minutes (you will need some clips or wire nuts to attach wires, and wire strippers).
After I had it hooked up and the microphone run to the headliner (again, very quick) I started her up, programmed the stations and set the radio. Then I paired my phone to it and made some phone calls.

Nice unit and the price was perfect

I purchased this unit during a price reduction and as my first after market head unit for a 200 mustang convertible. Installation was fairly easy with the Crutchfield provided documents. As a novice it took me about 4 hours to make sure I made all the correct connections and had the placement of wires just where I wanted them.
I called Crutchfield about 5 times to confirm verbally what I should be doing and each time the person I spoke with was spot on.
The unit has much more output power than the factory unit. I love the dual color mode display option and dual USD connections (frontside and rear cable into the glove box). The microphone cable is plenty long enough to go all the way around, under and up the side to be mounted on my visor.
Bluetooth connection to my Blackberry Bold and Android Incredible 2 were very quick and easy. My Bold does not seem to push music just yet, but that could just be my phone. The Android is flawless with Pandora integration. Controlling Pandora from the head unit is very nice.
This unit has plenty of audio options and settings for almost any user. A very nice buy for the price.

Cons:The only downside is not knowing that I needed a 5V voltage regulator. This fixed an issue with a popping sound when powering on the car. Crutchfield techs know this but it would have been nice to get that info when before I started the install.

3 of 3 found this helpful

Nice features. Can't beat the price.

I installed this in my 2002 Mini Cooper. I am very happy with the installation. It connects easily to my iPhone 4. Streams my music from the bluetooth connection. It pauses on incoming calls. The phone book is available from the head unit. Easy to make outgoing calls. I have not tried voice recognized dialing yet, but I imagine it will work well. The call quality is good on both ends. I installed the microphone right above the rear view mirror. Sounds good on both ends even driving 75 mph on the highway (the mini is not exactly a quiet car at these speeds). The display colors can be fine tuned really nicely to match your instrument panel colors. It's a nice match! I also purchased a PAC Audio Swi-Jack to allow the head unit to connect to the steering wheel controls. Installation of these items is not difficult if you can follow directions. There is a lot of great information out there and Crutchfield's installation guides and support team are top notch. You can't go wrong at this price point.

'94 F350 good fit

Easy installation in an old Pick-up, however the wiring instruction left out hooking up the amp wire. One quick call to the help line solved the problem.

Pros:Blooth audio feed and control from a Droid phone makes this a very versitile stereo.

Cons:none

0 of 0 found this helpful

The best I've owned

TexasDiver72 from Houston, Texas on 3/24/2012

This is the first item I have ever taken the time to review. This unit was exactly what I wanted. The bluetooth connection plays music from my iphone, and the GPS app I use (Navigon) mutes the music to give me directions through the speakers. When a call comes in, everything mutes to take the call.
I have no use for a cd player as I've ripped all of my CDs into windows media or itunes. I keep my favorites on my iphone for streaming through bluetooth and use the USB to keep my entire music collection handy in case I want to listen to something else. The installation was a breeze and it fit my small location perfectly. Highly recommend this unit.

Pros:Bluetooth connection to my iphone. Plays music, GPS app, and others from iphone through speakers. Only $99 was a no-brainer.

Cons:Sometimes takes a bit for the bluetooth to connect, but it always does eventually.

1 of 1 found this helpful

quality head unit at an unbeatable price!

this was the first head unit i have every installed. Crutchfield gives you everything you need for a simpl, secure fit! it took me less then an hour to install this into my F-250, looks and sounds great with upgraded speakers. takes a little while to get used to all of the buttons, would be nice if i could figure out how to fix when my headlights go on, the head unit doesnt dim or change colors like it says. other then that everything is really cool! wirelessly listen to music and have bluetooth is an excellent feature. Deffinetly reccomend this head unit!!!

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0 of 0 found this helpful

Great product for the $$$

Put this in my daughters 2002 Ford Escape. I have to say, the sound out of this thing, even with the factory speakers was awesome. Add in the ipod control from the head, the hands free calling through the bluetooth and included microphone, I couldn't ask for anything more. The adjustable display so it matches whatever car you install it in is a bonus. The setup is not as intuitive as a lot of other stereos I've installed, but with some getting used to, it will be fine.

Pros:Value, sound, bluetooth handsfree calling, iPod integration

Cons:Setup

0 of 0 found this helpful

excellent receiver, makes life easier

Value - for the price, I don't know how you could do better. Sound Quality - major upgrade, especially with the factor speakers Ease of Use - really easy to use if you take 5 minutes to read the manual Coolness factor - ? it's good equipment Build quality - had it for a few weeks, so far so good, seems pretty sturdy JVC nailed it with this; if you have a bluetooth phone with music on it, you won't go back - takes calls so easily and the music sounds great over bluetooth (way better than I expected).

Pros:Sound Quality and Value - and ease of not dealing with CDs anymore

Great Buy

I have an 04 Nissan Frontier , Just got the stereo yesterday, have never installed a stereo before a little confusing at first putting all the different instructions together but once I figured it out it was easy. Took about an hour, the bluetooth is amazing was real easy to connect phone streaming pandora is really neat. I installed the bluetooth mic in the consul in my truck there are two hole with plastic covers over them just below the vents, popped one out stuck the mic right up to the opening and you couldn't even see it if you weren't looking for it. Hope that helps someone installing this stereo in the same truck. But a great deal very happy.

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Cons:Can't steam pandora and charge my phone so I still have to use my car charger

2 of 2 found this helpful

Great deal

Worls great , replaced a dead factory radio, At first i thought it was odd to not have a cd player but after shoving in my 8c thumb drive it all made sense. The ability to change colors made it an almost perfect match at night too.
I cant complain about this radio at this price point as it was a total satisfaction

Pros:Price , features

Cons:Some menus are annoying and unless you have the BT mic in your face the callers get very annoyed listening to you

0 of 1 found this helpful

Awesome Headunit!

I don't mess with cd's anymore and always used my Android phone as a media player through my vehicle. Coming from a vehicle that has all the feature of the X50BT in my newer car I wanted the same feature in my older vehicle. I needed something that could stream audio via bluetooth, that can read music from thumb drive, phone for calling, and it had a great price for all of that. And this was perfect for it!
I'm surprised other manufacturer's hasn't caught on to something like the JVC X50BT. It's all about technology and interaction between the headunit and a Android/IOS phone for a good price. And with 4g service and apps like Spotify and Pandora on your phone you couldn't ask for a better music jukebox. All I needed was a single-din head-unit. Everything out there is price way too much, didn't have what I needed, or it had too much of what I needed.

Pros:Everything, I love being able to have the bluetooth up front or hidden in the back of the receiver. The ease of pairing up devices, and the simple control.

Great Headunit

Wow replaced a 6 month old Pioneer with this unit and could not be happier. This thing kills that Pioneer. This is only my second JVC and it certainly won't be my last. Made my after market speakers come to life. Thumb drive and my Galaxy S2 and I have everything I need...

Pros:Bluetooth connectivity, no more cd's.

Cons:None so far

1 of 1 found this helpful

Great value!

Originally, I bought the JVC KDX-40, but after reviewing the extra features available on THIS model-- I arranged for a return through Crutchfield. The salespeople I dealt with were very efficient-- sending me a prepaid return label via email, which I used to return the unopened KDX-40 as soon as it arrived. Kudos to Crutchfield for such great customer support! I've found the KDX-50BT to be a very good value. As far as FM-this receiver has RDS, (which the lower priced JVC didn't) so station and song data scrolls on screen (very nice feature). It also, being a newer generation -- has better FM sensitivity than many of the higher priced receivers in JVC's current lineup. And while I've become accustomed to HD radio (my truck has HD) -- several of the available iPhone apps (Radio, and Tunein) offer FAR more programming-- I can even listen to Stern on Howard 101.5 FREE without a satellite radio subscription... The bluetooth streaming with my iPhone works very well, but I would have to admit to a few glitches if I shut down the unit while the phone is attached. While it is a minor inconvenience-- it is part of the learning curve with this unit, and takes some getting used to. On board power is adequate at 20W rms per channel. I bought the unit to be part of a budget system in my work car, so I was not as concerned with the lack of high voltage RCA outputs. It does have a remote turn on lead for a powered subwoofer or power antenna. (Both future additions)

For the price?!?! Amazing.

I can't get over the fact that this unit is only this much. Concerned about mic quality, but not an issue. No complaints from anybody I've talked to. I tested a few locations for the mic and found that placing it in the pillar, as close as possible to my head worked best. Sound quality is good. No echo reported either. No CD player, but these days, why would you even want it? Wish the design was a little cooler, but with the features and performance, no complaints at all!

Pros:Bluetooth
Rear USB cord can be positioned out of sight to allow hook up of ipod/iphone, other USB device.
Head control OR iphone control.

Cons:Not crazy about the design/layout of buttons.

0 of 0 found this helpful

JVC KD-X50BT

When I saw this unit at first I thought it was to good to be true. After I read all the reviews I decided to go ahead and get it since my stock unit had died. It has exceeded my expectations. I'm really glad I got it. Even with the stock speakers it sounds fantastic. I use the streaming Bluetooth and it is amazing how clear my music is. It also looks really nice in my old Subaru, not too flashy but still nicer than the stock unit. And at this price, with this good of sound and features, it's miles ahead of anything else I've seen and/or tested. I would definitely recommend .

Good sound but

It is a good sounding unit for the price, and the Dynamic mode in the equalizer sounds awesome. However its very difficult to set up and control, There are two levels to the Menu button and there are no FM preset buttons just up/down arrows. The auto clock set goes nuts when you tune to certain stations, so leave the clock on manual set. The variety of display colors is OK but cannot match GM displays which are a Teal color, and the I wanted a rear USB this time but that is used by the Bluetooth so I am back to front USB stick. Audio streaming stopped working after initial testing worked. I now feel I should have got a more expensive unit with built in Bluetooth and more buttons/less hidden menus.

Pros:Sound,equalizer,colors,free included Bluetooth microphone.

Cons:Bluetooth included but not built in,controls,menus

1 of 2 found this helpful

BANG for the buck

Excellent unit for the money. Great features, all of which work very well. Installed in my Jeep Wrangler - noisy vehicle, but bluetooth telephone comms are 5x5 (adjustable mic gain and noise filter help A LOT). Long microphone cord allows for convenient mic placement. Plug and play replacement for a lot of Kenwood/JCV units (and maybe others).

Pros:Everything. Amazing unit for the price. No detachable face, meaning no rattle, no short circuiting (display issues), and large display.

Cons:Owners manual needs more detail/information for symbols/characters shown on the unit's display. Most are very intuitive, but there is no "map" page in the manual that shows all symbols/characters and explains each.

1 of 1 found this helpful

Excellent

I've been thinking about upgrading my wife's 98 Corolla mainly for Bluetooth so she can use it with her phone and also not have to use her Cassette adapter but I was not sure about the BT call quality. Boy! Was I surprised with this JVC?
Install was easy (apart from the one issue with a stuck screw removing the old factory head). Sounds great in all aspects - Radio, iPod using USB or bluetooth and the biggest feature is the call quality using bluetooth. You can scan Phone Book on the phone from the head.
You cannot control fully from the head when using Bluetooth to play music - you can only skip forward or backwards.
Definitely recommend this unit.
Crutchfield is awesome with the Technical Support and Advisors. Chatted with them a few times before ordering and they are extremely helpful. Called during install - the advisor tells me what I am working on as soon as he picks it up (using the phone number I guess).

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1 of 1 found this helpful

Great

This is a great product I've had it for a little over a month. The bluetooth streaming is awesome and workless nearly flawless. The only downside is that android doesn't support avrcp 1.3...only 1.0. Meaning it doesn't support metadata...needed to display track info on display via wireless. But i installed CM7 on my htc thunderbolt (cyagonmod 7 stable) and copied a custom audio.so file (its on a forum somewhere) and wala...it works. Everything was working great up until the rcas broke. I have a sub and amp in my trunk brand new so I knew they didn't blow when it stopped working. The RCA's one the back of the headunit went bad for some odd reason. I got a replacement otw but this product is backordered so I don't have bass for awhile...

Pros:great sound, cool display, bluetooth

Cons:RCA's are bad...hopefully just the individual unit.

1 of 1 found this helpful

Surprisingly very nice!

Surprising! Very! The stereo in my '98 Volvo V70 has been dying a slow death and needed an upgrade. Now that Crutchfield has an installation kit for the 70 series cars, I made the plunge and bought this HU. It really made a huge difference. I thought I would need to change the stock speakers as well but that isn't true. This HU really woke up the stock drivers and opened the soundstage. It is tremendous upgrade for the money. Highly recommended with Crutchfield's typically great installation parts and instructions. The Bluetooth connectivity worked great with my Android phone even though iPhone was emphasized in the manual.

Awesome Stereo!

Installation was a breeze in my 2006 Dodge Dakota. The instructions were easy to follow although a step was in the instructions that didn't need to be used since i purchased the additional wiring harness. It states that since my factory radio did not have an accessory hot wire, that this other wiring harness was needed. But in contrast to that, the installation instructions stated that I needed to splice into an existing wire on my air conditioning controls to overcome this lack of an accessory hot wire. Fortunately, I figured it all out before I made the splice. The harness I purchased was the fix for that issue and the splice was not needed.
The radio looks great. It sounds great. I love the EQ settings and I was able to configure the sound of the music to my tastes.
But the real reason i purchased this unit was the bluetooth. And let me tell you, it turned out much greater than my expectations. I am very pleased and impressed with the functionality of it all. I am not a bluetooth user. I just recently purchased some bluetooth headphones and that was my first experience with bluetooth. Pairing my phone (HTC Evo) to the radio is easy and the sound quality is great! The Pandora controls are easy to use and now I can just throw the phone in the center console and all of my music is on tap. I love it.
If you are like me and don't listen to CD's any longer you won't be disappointed with this unit.

Best 100 bucks ever spent on a car!

I love this unit. I love it so much, I have one for each of my cars. Bluetooth sound quality for the music is awesome! no need to even connect via USB. Unless you want to charge the phone also. (i dont know how many amps the usb charge is, but it does charge, in case you forget a usb car plug charger)
The sound quality during phone calls is pretty good too. Just make sure you put the microphone in a good spot.
I highly recommend this
cars installed: 2002 chrysler town and country minivan, 2002 bmw 325xi wagon (some debates about whether you need the SOEM4)

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0 of 0 found this helpful

Take advantage of the price!

I've had this for about 2 weeks now and held out on writing this to make sure I had some good feedback. The BT function is awesome and you can't beat it for the money. I upgraded from an Alpine CDE-9870 w/16 watts RMS, so the 20 watts was a nice punch that you can definitely feel. The remote is solid too- you're not going to find a better value for the price- probably not for another 2 years or so anyways. It usually takes about 15-20 seconds IME to queue the BT from my iPhone 3GS, but the range is decent and the Pandora inter-operability is seamless. I run the SiriusXM app because in Hawaii there is only ridiculous reggae on the radio and that works solid too, so for anyone in AK or HI without satellite radio you can totally stream good music over 3G and keep your phone in your pocket the whole time albeit for the $14/month SiriusXM price. The phone calls work great and mic sounds clean on the other side too. The iPod navigation isn't quite as perfect as the Alpine I used to have, but it's also possible that I'm just not used to it because I had my Alpine for 5+ years and I'm a creature of habit. Display colors look great. My only "what the heck" moment while installing this is my disgust that Alpine and JVC can't use the same harness plug. They wires are literally in the same spot but the plugs won't fit by a fraction of a millimeter- they should just get it together. No big deal, it only took 10 extra minutes to re-splice everything carefully. Definitely recommended.

Pros:Pandora connectivity is gold. Also works with SiriusXM smartphone app (better music than Pandora IMO). BT functionality is solid. 20 watts RMS is plenty of power for most vehicles and a nice boost from most aftermarket or factory without running a separate amp. Remote control. Still can't believe it's only this much- it slays the category for the price.

Cons:iPod navigation from head is not as perfect as Alpine, but not bad either. It takes 10-15 seconds to queue iPod and 15-20 seconds to queue iPhone from BT when switching inputs. Frequently out of stock. Doesn't read text messages for you or dictate through voice dialing.

4 of 4 found this helpful

Excellent

Has everything I was looking for, especially bluetooth streaming. Browsing folders & songs on the USB drive is easy. Matching the day & night colors to the dash is helpful, but choosing separate day & night colors and brightnesses is the best! I did find that connecting the ground wire is not sufficient. You must also ground the chassis to a separate ground or there will be some big sound & function problems.

Pros:Every feature

Cons:No memory card slot, only USB. The faceplate does not detach to discourage thieves from breaking in. A memory card slot behind a removable faceplate would make this perfect.

0 of 0 found this helpful

Happy with the purchase

This is a cool little head unit. Installation was a breeze, especially with all the guidance Crutchfield provided. This was my first stereo installation and it went without a hitch. I bought this unit primarily for use of my iphone. Sometimes the unit is a little glitchy when plugging in the iphone and playing music through the usb, but I've found playing through Bluetooth mode is seamless. The unit even comes with a little mic for hands free calling.

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0 of 0 found this helpful

Best Priced Car Audio

I have just installed it in my Toyota Highlander and it went fairly smooth. One phone call to the great support at Crutchfield regarding a couple of cables and what to do with the 2nd antenna in my car.

Pros:Ease of use, compared to the Pioneer DEH-P7000BT t was a breeze to set it up and less than half the price. The BT connection is very good both for handsfree phone calls and streaming audio from my phone. You also get notified of any text messages.
USB and AUX music playing and map directions work very well.

Cons:None so far

2 of 2 found this helpful

Exactly what I was looking for

This is a fantastic unit. If you're looking to drop CDs and want to be a one-divice carrier, this is the unit for you.
I drive a 2005 Scion tC with premium sound package and sub. The factory HU died on me (a known issue for those blasted Pioneer units) so I spent the better part of 6 months trying to find the perfect replacement. After all my searching, the JVC KDX50BT met my criteria and exceeded my expectations.
The unit is affordable, iPhone support is fantastic, and the sound is crystal clear - great support for my existing system. The Bluetooth hands-free calling is GREAT. I wired the mic behind my A-pillar and it's clipped to the lining up by my visor. All reports from folks on the other side of the line is that I sound clear as a bell.
I've had this unit installed for a month and couldn't be happier.

Pros:iPhone support, sound quality is beautiful, the best priced digital media player available, Bluetooth hands-free INCLUDED (not a costly add-on), lots of color customizations, easy to set-up and use. I look forward to my commute - this unit is that much fun.

Cons:For all that this unit does, I wouldn't mind a more sophisticated display. (Hence the 4 stars on the "coolness" factor.)

3 of 3 found this helpful

Awesome radio

I love the fact that you can stream phone and audio over Bluetooth I know most radios have an mp3 port but needing one les wire to do so is great. I have intune radio app and can listen to hundreds of stations here and abroad. Who needs HD radio? You can also change the color of the buttons or display to match your gauges or not.

Great receiver, great price

This receiver exceeded my expectations by far, and is a great deal for the cost. It's super easy to setup and use. The bluetooth connectivity quality is great with my iphone, and I like that you can control music playback from both the phone and the receiver. Music playback is automatically paused on the phone when the vehicle is switched off, and a simple click of the 'menu' button will resume playback once you're back on the road. Another review mentioned that they weren't getting song info over bluetooth, but it works fine for me. Answering calls can happen from both the phone or receiver, and switching calls between the two is seamless with a few clicks on the iphone. I've spent a fair amount of time talking on it, and people don't have any real complaints. They say it sounds like I've got them on speakerphone, but it's not obnoxious by any means. And my truck doesn't have a muffler at the moment, so I consider that pretty impressive, haha. JVC for the win.

Pros:Everything, seriously.

Cons:It doesn't appear to work with a USB hub as stated, or at least the 2 that I've tried. JVC claims a hub only works on the front port, but I've had no luck. It's not the end of the world, since the unit has 2 ports already, but 1 is occupied by the bluetooth adapter only leaving 1 open. I wouldn't really care, if they didn't specifically state that as a feature.

2 of 2 found this helpful

Love it

For the price, this is an awesome receiver. I did not replace my speakers and I can still tell it sounds better than my factory radio. I love the Ipod integration and the Bluetooth. If I'm just going a short distance, I might listen to my Iphone through the Bluetooth rather than getting my cable out and it sounds just as great and easy to use. The radio reception is great and all of the the controls are easy to figure out. I have not tried making a call over the Bluetooth so I cannot say if that will have good quality or not. I like how the radio automatically mutes itself when a call comes in and un-mutes when I hang up. The only real negative I have is that it can be a little hard to see in the day, but aside from that, it is very easy to setup and use.

Pros:Ease of use, Bluetooth, Sound quality

Cons:The display can be a little hard to see in the day

0 of 1 found this helpful

Finally a receiver Android compatible!

I have have been waiting quite a while for some company to release a car stereo that was Android compatible and finally JVC has done it!
Pandora/ Phone Music player via bluetooth: The best feature on the unit is being able to turn your car on and automatically the radio opens Pandora on your phone and starts playing music without touching your phone. As long as you have it set to auto connect and have bluetooth turned on your phone this works, but it does take about 15-20 seconds to start open the app and start playing music. You can also thumbs up or thumbs down tracks and change songs/stations. Nice feature is that the KD-X50BT displays artist/song and album info. Although the regular music player on the phone does not show track info, you can also access the files on your sd card via USB cable and view the file info. I have a 32gb sd card so it does take a minute to load all the files.
The sound quality through bluetooth is amazing, not what I had expected being wireless. I have been using the 3.5mm audio cable on my old JVC unit to connect my phone and the sound quality wasnt that great. Lots of options to change the equalizer settings and adjust the subwoofer to get the best sound. Phone pairing was simple to set up. My friend said he had a hard time hearing me and it sounded like I was on speakerphone, some other calls were fine. Other than that all my contacts and missed and received calls are all there. By far best single din on the market well worth the $

So far so great!

Just installed to replace an older JVC CD unit (CD player blown for sometime been playing via aux input for two years ala Zune) The blue tooth for phone works great so far, interfaces with the contact list flawlessly, calls placed so far nice and clear. I like the usb on the front, plays from data stick no problem, could not support portable hard drive though. If you are done with cd's like me this is the way to go! Next step is to review cd collection, download any missing back all 3 times and then sell them, and then this will have more than paid for itself!

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2 of 2 found this helpful

Good at what it does

It's a good receiver, has good sound quality along with expansive adjustments. Glad to see Android is finally supported and ipod/iPhone aren't the only option. Can't find but one downside which is the receiver isn't displaying song info over Bluetooth. Maybe a setting conflict not sure but love it otherwise.